Anti-racism, diversity training under threat say Black community leaders at Queen's Park rally
Black community leaders rallied at Queen's Park on Wednesday to fight against what they see as threats to anti-racism, diversity, and equity training in Ontario schools.
Advocates feel that work is under attack after the death by suicide of a former Toronto District School Board principal last month.
- Download our app to get local alerts on your device
- Get the latest local updates right to your inbox
Richard Bilkszto, who worked on contract with the TDSB after his retirement in 2019, filed a lawsuit against the board in April, claiming that an anti-racism training session in 2021 and its aftermath destroyed his reputation.
Bilkszto claimed supervisors did not intervene and later retaliated against him when trainer Kike Ojo-Thompson allegedly implied he was racist and humiliated him in front of colleagues after he disagreed that Canada was more racist than the U.S.
A lawyer for Bilkszto said her client died by suicide in July.
"It is clear to us, that his death has been used as a rallying point for right-wing opponents to dismantle the necessary and imperative anti-racism work," community leader Idris Orughu said outside the legislature Wednesday.
Orughu called any attempts to link death to anti-racism education are "immoral and unethical".
None of the allegations in Bilkszto's suit have been proven in court.
The TDSB has hired a third party investigator to look into the circumstances around Bilkszto's death.
In a statement issued Wednesday evening following the rally, the TDSB said it had “unanimously resolved to reaffirm” the board’s commitment to its anti-hate and anti-racism strategy.
“We are all informed by our individual identities but through our collaborative efforts we can best support our students and staff to create positive and sustainable change,” the statement read in part.
Meanwhile, the Ministry of Education's staff is reviewing how TDSB training is carried out.
"While the review into these disturbing allegations will occur, we remain firm that professional anti-racism and anti-discrimination training will continue," a spokesperson for Education Minister Stephen Lecce wrote in a statement.
"We will continue this important work to remove barriers that hold back too many children from reaching their full potential."
Advocates say that while anti-racism education can spark difficult and uncomfortable conversations, abandoning them would be damaging.
"Anti-Black racism has mentally harmed educators, students, and youth for decades, for centuries," said Deborah Buchanan Walford with the Ontario Alliance of Black School Educators.
Black leaders feel their lived experiences need to be heard and understood.
"It's not if we're going to experience racism, it's how many times per day," said Charline Grant, co-founder of Parents of Black of Children.
"We cannot have educators dropping the N-word at school to our children. We see the racists being recycled. We have them moved, we see them being recycled. Our children are being locked in rooms."
Those gathered at Queen's Park were encouraged to see a commitment to combatting anti-Black racism in an Emancipation Day message from Premier Doug Ford on Tuesday, but want those words to translate into action.
With files from The Canadian Press
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
India's foreign minister reacts to murder charges, claims Canada welcomes criminals
India's Foreign Affairs Minister accused Canada of welcoming criminals from his country in response to the RCMP's recent arrests in a homicide that has roiled tensions between the two countries.
15-year-old boy stabbed in Ottawa on Thursday dies
A 15-year old boy who was critically injured after a stabbing in Nepean on Thursday has died of his injuries, Ottawa's English public school board said Sunday.
Dash cam catches moment suspected drunk driver hits parked car, sends it careening into North Shore flower shop
Police say it’s fortunate no one was injured or killed in a collision at North Vancouver’s Park and Tilford shopping centre Saturday evening that sent one vehicle careening into a flower shop and another into a set of concrete barriers outside a Winners store.
'A tiny city:' Pro-Palestinian campus protesters organize for another week
Pro-Palestinian activists have set up tents at universities in Toronto, Ottawa, Vancouver and Montreal, following a wave of similar protests at campuses in the United States linked to the Israel-Hamas war.
Lawsuit against Meta asks if Facebook users have right to control their feeds using external tools
Do social media users have the right to control what they see — or don't see — on their feeds?
Princess Anne lays wreath at Battle of Atlantic ceremony; honours late Queen
Princess Anne saluted Canadian veterans and current forces members and honoured her late mother during separate ceremonies Sunday in Victoria as she wrapped up a three-day British Columbia West Coast royal visit.
El Nino weakening doesn't mean cooler temperatures this summer, forecasters say
As Canadians brace themselves for summer temperatures, forecasters say a weakening El Nino cycle doesn’t mean relief from the heat.
As storms moves across Texas, 1 child dies after being swept away in floodwaters
A child in Texas died Sunday after being swept away in floodwaters as storms swept across the state.
Nylander defends Leafs' core after playoff exit, Toronto again picks up the pieces
The Maple Leafs battled back from a 3-1 series deficit against the Boston Bruins with consecutive 2-1 victories - including one that required extra time - in their first-round playoff series to push the club's Original Six rival to the limit before suffering a devastating Game 7 overtime loss.