Students walk out of Toronto school amid 'constant chaos,' violence
Students walked out of a Toronto high school they say has become the site of “constant chaos” in which students detail deplorable conditions, teachers say it’s violent and parents are demanding action from the school board.
At a walkout staged outside of The Toronto District School Board (TDSB) office on Friday, York Memorial Collegiate Institute students described a constant police presence, bathrooms without toilet paper or sanitary products, and classrooms that are construction zones.
York Memorial Collegiate Institute and George Harvey Collegiate Institute amalgamated in September, cramming 1,300 students into one building near Keele Street and Rogers Road. The TDSB said the merger “hasn’t been without its challenges.”
“When you walk into school, it feels like a prison,” a Grade 12 student said on Friday afternoon.
“I have never seen anything like this happen in my whole entire high school experience. As a student, I’m very angry.”
Students gathered to demand a “safe and stable” learning environment, which they described as void of a police presence and racial violence, a school brimming over capacity and staff not showing up to class. On Thursday night, parents attended a TDSB meeting to address these ongoing issues.
"She's scared to death to go to school, "the mother of a Grade 9 student said at the consultation. "She's coming home saying, 'Mom, I could have died today."
Members of the school's administration, including the current principal, did not show up for work last month, citing an unsafe work environment.
At the time, staff members told CTV News Toronto that bathrooms had become “fight clubs” and alleged sites for drug use. A lockdown took place on Nov. 15 following reports of a person with a gun.
“Has anyone asked why students are fighting and why students are angry? Our anger has led to violence because no one is listening,” an honour roll student said at the Friday rally.
York Memorial students stage a walkout on Dec. 2, 2022. “I want to make it clear it is not all students that are causing the issues and it's not all teachers that are causing the issues. However, the tension between teachers and students is the main reason why there's problems happening in our school.”
After the protest, a letter was sent to parents and guardians providing updates on the actions being taken by the TDSB. They include the announcement of new permanent principal and vice principals, continued work to hire permanent teachers and the addition of supervision and counselling supports.
In addition, the board said the school leadership team will ensure there is a clear process that students, families and staff are aware of to report incidents of racism.
“While there is still much work to do, we are starting to make much needed progress at the school and it is my hope that that will become much more evident in the days ahead,” wrote executive superintendent Dr. Uton Robinson.
Also in the letter, the board said it is exploring virtual learning opportunities for students who “would be better served and would still earn credits to assure successful completion of their year.”
DOUG FORD RESPONSE
Ontario Premier Doug Ford was asked if he was planning to intervene in the violence taking place at York Memorial while at a news conference on Friday.
“We always leave that up to the school boards. We don't have jurisdiction to dictate to the school boards what needs to be done when there's any violent products,” he said.
“If there are any violent crimes, that goes back to the federal government to make sure that when someone gets charged, that there's mandatory sentences.”
Ford said it’s the federal government's responsibility to “toughen up” the criminal code to keep communities safer.
For the Mayor’s part, John Tory floated the idea of an official police presence in the school as a possible solution.
“I supported the old way of having the police in schools, but I realize that was controversial and the school board took it out. But is there a different way in which we can have police help to keep schools safe?” he said at an unrelated news conference Friday.
Tory said he plans to reconvene with representatives of the TDSB and Toronto police following a meeting earlier this week to further address the issue.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Canadian gov't proposes new foreign influence registry as part of wide-spanning new bill
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau's government is proposing a suite of new measures and law changes aimed at countering foreign interference in Canada, amid extensive scrutiny over past meddling attempts and an ever-evolving threat landscape.
Boeing Starliner capsule's first crewed test flight postponed
The long-awaited first crewed test flight of Boeing's new Starliner space capsule was called off for at least 24 hours over a technical issue that launch teams were unable to resolve in time for the planned Monday night lift-off.
Teacher charged in historical sexual assault of Calgary teenage girl
Calgary police have charged a teacher with the alleged sexual assault of a teenage girl more than 20 years ago.
Winnipeg man admits to killing four women, argues he's not criminally responsible
Defence lawyers of Jeremy Skibicki have admitted in court the accused killed four Indigenous women, but argues he is not criminally responsible for the deaths by way of mental disorder – this latest development has triggered a judge-alone trial rather than a jury trial.
Man banned from owning animals after fatal Calgary dog attack
The owner of three Calgary dogs that got loose and mauled a woman to death in 2022 has been ordered to pay a $15,000 fine within one year and banned from owning any animal for 15 years.
East-end Ottawa family dealing with massive rat infestation
Residents in Ottawa’s Elmridge Gardens complex are dealing with a rat infestation that just won’t go away. Now, after doing everything they can to try to fix the issue, they are pleading with the city to step in and help.
Mediterranean staple may lower your risk of death from dementia, study finds
A daily spoonful of olive oil could lower your risk of dying from dementia, according to a new study by Harvard scientists.
An El Nino-less summer is coming. Here's what that could mean for Canada
As Canadians brace themselves for summer temperatures, forecasters say a weakening El Nino cycle doesn’t mean relief from the heat.
Newfoundland and Labrador latest province to tighten rules on Airbnbs
Newfoundland and Labrador is the latest jurisdiction to bring in stricter rules for short-term rentals, with a coming set of regulations that will force operators to register with the provincial government.