Parents raise concerns with racism in Upper Grand District School Board schools

There are concerns about how Black students are being treated in Upper Grand District School Board schools. CTV’s Alexandra Holyk reports.

A group of concerned parents say the Upper Grand District School board isn’t doing enough to protect their children from racism in the classroom.

In April of last year, the school board commissioned an independent third-party human rights review to get a better understanding about the challenges some of their students were facing.

Over the course of several months the reviewers, Patrick Case and Julie Lassonde, combed through document and policy analysis, collected 4,255 student surveys, received 781 written submissions and conducted more than 60 interviews about human rights issues within the board.

Although the report said most participants believed that the board’s intentions and policies aligned with human rights values, there were some concerns raised, particularly with anti-Black racism.

“…what can only be described as despair…”

“The N word is used frequently in schools and students are not empowered to report it, and staff are not clear on steps to disrupt and intervene,” an anonymized participant was quoted as saying.

The report also said respondents felt there were too few racialized people in positions of responsibility and that there were insufficient policies and procedures in place to protect against race-based discrimination.

“Black parents notice a lack of engagement with them. Some student respondents said that, in their large school, they know the two educators who will follow up if they complain about other students using ‘the N word’ against them,” the report said. “An educator reported being called a monkey and referred to by the N word by students.”

Some survey participants also said Black students face discipline when defending themselves against racism while offenders may face no consequences for their actions.

“In all but one school we visited, Black students registered what can only be described as despair at the manner in which their peers treated them,” the report said. “They perceive some staff as indifferent to the daily torment of ‘the N word’ being hurled at them and at microaggressions perpetuated by both students and staff. This behaviour is corrosive, and it weighs dramatically on the scholastic experience and outcomes for Black children.”

In a statement to CTV News, the school board said it is taking those concerns seriously.

“The board acknowledges the existence and impact of systemic anti-Black-racism within publicly funded education … and is committed to addressing it through sustained, system-wide action,” the statement said, in part.

“We remain committed to engaging with students, families and community partners in a respectful and constructive way …and to ensuring that all students feel safe, valued and supported in their learning environments,” the statement continued.

The report authors recommended several steps that could help address a variety of issues within the board, including anti-Black racism. Some of those suggestions included promoting an empathy-based program called Roots of Empathy, developing a hate incidents protocol and engaging with parents on how to address concerns about harassment and discrimination.

More than words

For some parents, they want to see more than just words on a page.

“We are beyond platitudes. We are beyond just seeing this in a report,” Marsha Myrie, a member of the UGDSB Black Parent Council, which is not affiliated with the board, said. “We need urgent action to be able to assist our children who, as the report clearly shows, are suffering within an environment that is supposed to be a safe and enriching environment.”

Myrie told CTV News she believes there is an expectation that the work rests on the shoulders of the families facing discrimination instead of the community at large.

“We’re trying to be engaged, involve parents, and at every turn we’re just meeting barriers and boundaries,” she said.

She said the findings of the report were not surprising because it is the reality children face every day.

“Those words and actions do not match. Black children are falling through the abyss between the two.”

Fellow council member Nia James echoed her concerns.

“We shouldn’t have to come out here in the freezing cold and beg and plead and ask for someone to care about the children,” James said.

Both Myrie and James agreed something needs to be done, but they want to see actionable change.

“We don’t want performative community engagement,” James said.

“I would like to see a stronger plan around systemic racism and how we address that, not just as parents, not just as students, but as a school board,” Myrie said.

James questioned who would be responsible for ensuring the recommendations in the report would actually be fully implemented and maintained while Myrie said she wants to see an oversight committee form to make sure students and staff receive the support they need.