A Toronto principal, vice principal and teacher have been placed on home assignment while officials investigate a complaint that a six-year-old Black boy was allegedly kept in an isolated room for a whole day at school.
In a statement emailed to Global News, a spokesperson for the Toronto District School Board said, on March 2, staff were notified of a report of “serious acts of anti-Black racism” at its John Fisher Junior Public School.
“No child should experience what has been reported and we apologize for the impact it has had on the student and their family,” the TDSB spokesperson said.
The TDSB statement was sent to Global News a day before the advocacy group Parents of Black Children detailed the allegations of anti-Black racism and an alleged lack of action by the school and teachers.
In their own statement, the group said, “in a series of inhumane acts, the 6-year-old Black child, who attends a Toronto District School Board school, was detained in an isolation room for a full day.”
It went on to say the child allegedly had his desk placed in the corner of his classroom away from the other children and that rude words were written on his desk “with no attempts by the teacher to erase these remarks from his desk.”
The child’s mother, Faridah, told reporters on Tuesday that she and her son were both told that he shouldn’t be in the school’s French immersion program.
Faridah claims her son was also repeatedly sent to the principal’s office.
Faridah said her son would come home from school each day crying and stressed.
She said she and her son were both told he should be moved out of the French immersion class, because he was falling behind academically.
Charline Grant, co-founder and Chief Advocacy Officer at Parents of Black Children, said Faridah gathered audio recordings from inside the classroom to show how her son was being treated at school.
“We’re getting legal advice on how much of that video we could share, but mom has a series of them,” Grant said.
Grant said she was “floored” when she saw the room the child was allegedly isolated in.
“It was like a closet,” she told reporters. “It was more to me like a broom closet if I’m thinking of the size of it, and I immediately took a picture because I knew no one would believe me if I (left) that day without taking a picture of that.”
The TDSB said it was in the process of investigating the allegations. “We are working to complete this investigation as soon as possible and will support the student and their family in any way we can,” the spokesperson said.
In a statement, Grant blasted the school board for its alleged failings.
“No school in this province, no organization, and no educator, should feel comfortable ignoring the rights of any parent and child in the education system,” she said in a statement.
“Advocacy is a human right, advocacy will never be comfortable and easy for systems to digest. Imperative change and accountability will always accompany unapologetic and passionate advocacy.”
The group is launching a framework designed to “set the tone” for advocacy from parents “so that no parent is left in a situation where school leaders are refusing to meet with them or meet with their advocate.”
Grant told reporters that since Monday evening, two additional families have come forward with complaints about the school.
Grant said the mother of a four-year-old Black girl alleges her daughter was also locked in the isolation room with the lights off, and said her daughter was also sent to the office repeatedly.
In an email to Global News, Ryan Bird, a spokesperson for the TDSB said while the board has “not yet formally been made aware of this incident, we would encourage anyone with concerns to please bring them to the attention of the Acting Principal at the school.”
“We take all such reports seriously and will investigate further,” Bird said.
What’s more, Grant said the mother of a five-year-old Black child claims her daughter was being neglected at the school.
Bird said he hasn’t been made of the allegation, and said he doesn’t believe the school has either, but “can’t say 100 per cent unfortunately.”
According to Grant, although all of the children attend the same school, they are not in the same class.
Kearie Daniel, CEO and executive director of Parents of Black Children, said these types of incidents are “never just one-off instances.”
“It is never just one child, there are so many touch points for Black parents in Faridah’s story. So many of us can identify with parts of that story because they’ve happened to us and that’s why these parents are coming forward, so we expect it will likely continue.”
Daniel said the group will “continue to provide support to any parent that comes forward.”
According to Faridah, her son is still “distressed” to return to school each day.
“He needs a lot of support to be able to trust the school environment again,” she said.
Grant said the mental and psychological harm to the children as of now is “unknown.”
“To me, these are irreparable damage and harm that has been done to these children,” she said. “I know I hear these stories all the time, so they hit me a bit differently. But I am, to be honest, I am scared. I’m terrified of how these children will move forward. I think it will be years of therapy.”