Quebec school board expresses regret over Jersey Day incident
SAINTE-ADÈLE, QUE. — A Quebec school board is expressing regret over an incident where a student was asked to leave class for wearing a sports jersey in support of the victims of a bus crash involving the Humboldt Broncos hockey team.
The director of the Commission scolaire des Laurentides says the administration of the high school in Ste-Adèle met with students Friday to discuss the tragedy and the various ways of honouring the 16 victims of the Saskatchewan crash.
Fourteen-year-old Philippe Volek told the Canadian Press on Thursday he was sent to the principal’s office for violating the school’s dress code after wearing a soccer jersey to class as part a nationwide Jersey Day event.
Volek said he opted to accept what he called a suspension from class for the day rather than remove the jersey.
School board director Bernard Dufourd points out that Volek chose to go home of his own accord instead of working with the school to organize a different tribute to the victims.
Nevertheless, he describes the event as regrettable and says the school would have acted differently had it been aware of Jersey Day. “Had we known it was an event in all schools, we would have (participated) spontaneously,” Dufourd said in a phone interview Friday.
“In the future (if something similar occurs), we’ll question the student more carefully and inform ourselves in regards to the information he gives us.”
Across the country Thursday, people showed up to work and school decked out in sports jerseys as part of Jersey Day, inspired by a group of British Columbia hockey moms to send a message of support for the families who lost loved ones in the Saskatchewan crash.
Dufourd says the school is working to organize its own event to commemorate the crash.