Toronto teachers’ union accuses Ford of diverting attention away from Grassy Narrows as province begins investigating controversial field trip

The union representing some elementary teachers in Toronto says Premier Doug Ford’s comments about a field trip highlighting the challenges facing a northern Ontario First Nation, which ended with students chanting pro-Palestinian slogans, are taking away from the plight of the impacted Indigenous Peoples.

In a statement issued Wednesday, the Elementary Teachers of Toronto (ETT), a local branch of the Elementary Teachers Federation of Ontario (ETFO), said the premier’s recent comments acted as a “diversion” from the core message of last week’s event for the Grassy Narrows First Nation.

“This was a teachable moment, and Doug Ford failed the test. Instead of leadership, he’s shown he will continue to ignore the call of Grassy Narrows for justice, and throw our schools, teachers, and our communities who need help the most under the bus,” the group said in a lengthy statement. “We will continue to support Grassy Narrows in its call for environmental justice.”

As many as 15 schools participated in the Grassy Narrows River Run on Sept. 18, which featured a march to Queen’s Park to raise awareness about the ongoing mercury poisoning within the First Nation. The field trip was meant to be an educational experience, according to the Toronto District School Board, where students would hear directly from Indigenous voices about the situation in Grassy Narrows.

However, videos circulating on social media showed some young students taking part in the march and repeating the slogan, “From Turtle Island to Palestine, occupation is a crime,” after it was shouted by someone who appeared to be a protest organizer.

Dozens of parents who took issue with the trip rallied outside the TDSB headquarters in North York on Tuesday to protest the school-sanctioned event. Some parents said they were misled by what the field trip would entail and did not know their children would be taking part in the rally.

Ford first commented on the event at an unrelated news conference on Monday, calling the inclusion of students in what he described as a “Palestinian” rally “disgusting.”

“We'll be all over this and make sure people are held accountable, and they think twice about bringing young little kids, without the parents' permission, on these school trips. It's disgusting,” he said at the time.

Ford went on to say that the teachers involved in the planning of the trip should “stick to their knitting” and focus on the classroom, which the ETT labelled as a “sexist attack.”

Education Minister Jill Dunlop announced Tuesday that the incident is being investigated at a provincial level, in tandem with a separate investigation by the board.

For the TDSB’s part, the board apologized and said that, generally, students should not participate in organized protests as part of a field trip.

“The TDSB will also be reviewing its field trip procedures to provide guidance that upholds the safety and well-being of students,” the statement added.