O Canada case judge reserves decision

A New Brunswickjudge will decide next week whether a man is guilty ofuttering threats against an elementary school principal over the singing of O Canada.

Bradley Howland, 43, of Hatfield Point, N.B., appeared in Sussex provincial court Wednesday, accused of threatening to cause serious bodily harm to Erik Millet, former principal at Belleisle Elementary School.

Millett told the court that Howland threatened to beat him senseless, and caused him to fear personal injury.

The alleged threat happened after it became public knowledge that Millett had scaled back the daily singing of the national anthem to monthly assemblies and special occasions to accommodate parents who didn't want their children to sing along for religious reasons.

Outside court, Howland claimed victory no matter what the outcome of the case.

"I guess weve won the war. We have the national anthem played in all the schools in New Brunswick, which is a war won. We also have a new principal coming that has wisdom and morals. In my mind, thats the war won, and this is just a little battle," he said.

The judge reserved his decision until next Thursday.

After a national outcry, New Brunswick Education Minister Kelly Lamrock made singing the anthem mandatory in all New Brunswick schools. In April, Millett quit as principal after receiving thousands of threats.

In February, Millett told CBC News that he had been flooded withhostile messages, including taunts and death threats.

At the height of the anthem debate, he said, he was sitting in his office with a student when a parent walked in to speak with him.

"He said that I should be ashamed of myself, that I embarrassed the community. He said that if my admin assistant wasn't there he would drag me outside by my shirt collar to the parking lot and beat me senseless," Millett said.