The Toronto District School Board says no charges have been laid after a political candidate was allegedly involved in a verbal and physical altercation with a student at a Scarborough elementary school last week.
While the TDSB did not name the candidate, an article published by The Toronto Star identifies the politician as Ontario PC candidate Raymond Cho.
TDSB spokesperson Ryan Bird told CP24 that staff at Brookside Public School, located in Scarborough’s Morningside Heights neighbourhood, were informed that a candidate was handing out flyers at the school at the end of the day on May 29.
“Staff immediately went outside to speak with the candidate and another person to ask them to stop as electioneering is not permitted on school property. They understood and immediately left the property,” Bird said.
But school officials were later informed about an alleged altercation that occurred between the candidate and a Grade 7 student at the school.
“The student’s parent and Toronto Police were notified,” Bird said. “The student was not injured and it is our understanding that no charges were laid.”
Speaking to The Star, 81-year-old Cho said he was having a conversation with the student when the child ripped up his campaign literature and tossed it on the ground.
Cho claims he “lightly touched” the student’s head while asking him to pick up the discarded campaign material.
“Upon reflection I understand that it was inappropriate for myself to have any physical contact with the child and it was not my place to intervene with what I saw as rude and disrespectful behaviour,” Cho told the Star.
“I sincerely apologize to the young man and his family.”
Cho, a former Toronto city councillor, has been an MPP for Scarborough-Rouge River since 2016 after winning a byelection in the riding.
