Ryan’s Law
Background
- Student and school: Ryan Gibbons was a 12‑year‑old Grade‑7 student at Straffordville Public School (Thames Valley District School Board). On 9 Oct 2012 he told friends he wasn’t feeling well during recess and headed for the school office. The inhaler he needed was locked in the principal’s office, because school staff insisted that all prescription medication be stored there. When Ryan reached the office he collapsed and died from an asthma attack[1].
- School policy: The TVDSB Medical/Health Support for Students Policy No. 5001 (then in place) treated asthma inhalers the same as other prescription drugs. The authorization form parents had to complete only allowed school staff to administer medication; it offered no option for a student to self‑carry[2]. Paragraph 1.10 of the policy required that a student’s inhaler, along with a log and authorization form, be stored together in a secure location[3]. Paragraph 1.11 stated that any deviation from these procedures needed prior written approval from the executive superintendent[4]. Ryan’s principal enforced the policy strictly; staff would call his mother to pick up any spare inhalers they found and told her a doctor’s permission was required for Ryan to carry his inhaler[1]. The policy thus prevented Ryan from having his rescue medication with him and contributed directly to the tragedy[5].
- Other accounts: A news article reported that Ryan had told friends he felt unwell and was being carried to the principal’s office when he collapsed; his inhaler was under lock and key, and the school had confiscated inhalers whenever he tried to carry them[6].
Legislative and community response
Advocacy by Ryan’s family and MPP Jeff Yurek
- Following Ryan’s death, his mother Sandra Gibbons and MPP Jeff Yurek campaigned for legislation requiring asthma‑friendly policies in schools. Yurek told the Ontario Legislature that Ryan’s inhaler “was locked in the school office” and he did not have it when he needed it[7]. He argued that schools should allow students with asthma to carry their inhalers, provide staff training and reduce asthma triggers[8].
- Hansard transcripts show cross‑party support. Members noted that the bill was common‑sense legislation to ensure that children with asthma could self‑carry inhalers[9].
Passage of Ryan’s Law (Ensuring Asthma‑Friendly Schools), 2015
- Yurek’s private member’s bill was introduced in 2013, passed second reading in 2014 and received royal assent in May 2015. The law requires every Ontario school board to develop a comprehensive asthma policy. Key elements include allowing students to carry their inhalers with parent/physician permission, establishing individual asthma action plans, training staff and reducing asthma triggers[10].
- Local news emphasized that the main point of Ryan’s Law is to ensure students can keep their reliever inhalers with them at all times; the Thames Valley District School Board’s earlier policy had required medication to be kept in the principal’s office.
Community remembrance and awareness
- Ryan’s memory has been honoured with events such as annual runs and tree plantings, but details of school‑board‑sponsored memorials are scarce. Local media indicate that the Straffordville community hosts a memorial run each year to keep his story alive, though the board’s official records of these events were not accessible via the board’s website.
Changes within the Thames Valley District School Board
Policy reform
- After Ryan’s death and the passage of Ryan’s Law, the Ontario Ministry of Education issued Policy/Program Memorandum (PPM) 161 on supporting students with prevalent medical conditions. In June 2018 the TVDSB approved a Supporting Students with Prevalent Medical Conditions (Anaphylaxis, Asthma, Diabetes and/or Epilepsy) policy to comply with PPM 161 and Ryan’s Law. A 2018 Policy Working Committee report recommended rescinding the old “Asthma and Students” policy because it had been replaced[11]. This rescission acknowledges that the former policy (which locked Ryan’s inhaler in the office) was no longer appropriate. It is unclear why it was not rescinded sooner.
Leadership timeline
- Director of Education at the time of the tragedy (2008‑2013): Bill Tucker served as TVDSB’s director of education from 2008 to his retirement in 2013. A biography notes that he joined the board in 2008 and left upon retirement[12]. As director during Ryan’s death, he would have overseen policy development, though no public records indicate disciplinary action against senior administration.
- 2013‑2019: Laura Elliott became director in 2013 and led the board until 2019. She oversaw policy revisions and the board’s compliance with PPM 161. The 2018 committee report occurred under her leadership. There is no public evidence that she publicly addressed the earlier policy’s failures, but she did guide the adoption of the new policy.
- 2019‑2025: Mark Fisher, former president of the Council of Directors of Education, assumed the director role in September 2019. He went on leave in September 2024 and resigned in March 2025 after controversy over a $40 000 Blue Jays stadium retreat. Global News reported that the board of trustees accepted his resignation; he had been on leave since September 2024 and the cost of the off‑site planning meeting totaled $38 444.92[13]. Fisher’s resignation underscores accountability issues unrelated to Ryan’s case but reveals ongoing scrutiny of board leadership.
- Interim leadership (2024‑2025): After Fisher’s leave, Bill Tucker returned as interim director in March 2025[12]. The board announced that he would serve until a permanent director was appointed. Tucker’s return underscores the board’s reliance on experienced leadership during times of upheaval.
- The board is currently under supervision by the Ministry of Education for issues unrelated to Ryan’s Law.
Board meetings and transparency
- The 2018 committee report rescinded the old asthma policy[11].
- Reports suggest that school administrators and staff knew Ryan relied on his inhaler yet continued to enforce the policy requiring it to be locked away[1].
- There is no public record of disciplinary action against the principal or staff. The policy itself required superintendent approval for deviations. The absence of publicly available board meeting minutes discussing the impact makes it difficult to determine who within senior administration knew about or approved the rigid enforcement.
- Subsequent board actions: Following the introduction of Ryan’s Law, the board updated its policies and complied with provincial guidelines – however, there is a gap between his death and updating the policies, during which time it appears the prior policy was still in place.
Current situation (2025)
- Asthma policy: By 2025, TVDSB’s policy appears to align with Ryan’s Law and PPM 161. Students with asthma are allowed to carry their inhalers with parent consent, schools develop individual asthma plans, and staff receive training. The board’s old policy (#5001) has been rescinded and replaced[11].
Conclusion
Ryan Gibbons’ death was a preventable tragedy rooted in a rigid school board policy that failed to distinguish life‑saving asthma inhalers from regular prescription medications[3]. School staff enforced this policy, confiscated Ryan’s inhaler and locked it in the office, leaving him unable to access it during a severe asthma attack[1]. Advocacy by his family and allies led to the passage of Ryan’s Law, which mandates asthma‑friendly policies across Ontario[7]. The Thames Valley District School Board subsequently rescinded its flawed policy and adopted a new framework to support students with prevalent medical conditions[11]. While the board has modernized its policies, the lack of publicly available board meeting records means there is still little transparency about internal accountability for the decisions that cost Ryan his life. Future governance should emphasize transparency and proactive review of health‑related policies to ensure such a tragedy is never repeated.
[1] [2] [3] [4] [5] [10] Asthma Tragedy At School Reveals Flawed Board Policy, Ryan’s Law Proposed
[6] [title unknown]
[7] [8] Hansard Transcripts 2014-Oct-23 | Legislative Assembly of Ontario
[9] Hansard Transcripts 2015-Sep-14 | Legislative Assembly of Ontario
[11] filestream.ashx
[12] Tucker Appointed Interim Director of Education for TVDSB – 104.7 Heart FM
[13] [title unknown]
School Board Research 