Parents defend teacher accused of racism at Toronto school as another parent claims Black student was locked in room
CTV
Dozens of parents of Grade 1 students at a Toronto school where a six-year-old boy was allegedly locked in a closet-sized room have signed a petition in support of their teacher, as at least one other parent says the same thing happened to her child.
Dozens of parents of Grade 1 students at a Toronto school where a six-year-old boy was allegedly locked in a closet-sized room have signed a petition in support of their teacher, as at least one other parent says the same thing happened to her child.
The teacher at John Fisher Public School, who the group of parents described as “extremely dedicated, attentive, and caring,” was placed on home assignment, along with the school’s principal and vice-principal, as part of a Toronto District School Board (TDSB) investigation into allegations of anti-Black racism toward the six-year-old.
The boy’s mother alleges that she and her son were subject to dozens of instances of discrimination at the school, and that on Jan. 31 her son was locked in a small room off the school office while staff tended to another student in need of medical treatment.
“That’s when he’s told that he’s being distracting, and [was] led to the room, and locked in the room,” the mother told CTV News Monday. “It’s emotional, it’s unbelievable.”
The advocacy group Parents of Black Children intervened last week, and the school board said in a statement it is “committed to taking the required steps on each action reported to us.”
The mother also alleges that her son, the only Black boy in his class, was made to sit separately from his peers at a desk with unpleasant words scribbled on it.
At a news conference on Tuesday, the advocacy group said two additional families came forward with allegations of anti-Black racism at the school, including one which said their daughter was also locked in a room.
