School’s letter tries to reassure parents, criticizes Spectator
Parent complains Notre-Dame elementary school is ‘dropping the ball’ after sexual incident
The local French Catholic school board sent a letter to parents of students at Hamilton’s École élémentaire catholique NotreDame, attempting to reassure them school officials followed protocols and acted appropriately in the wake of a disturbing sexual incident involving two kindergarten students.
The two-page letter sent out Wednesday, and written in French, also deplored the Spectator’s decision to publish the article, “knowing very well, in this era of digital communication, it’s very easy to identify the people implicated.” The letter also accused the Spectator of possibly violating the students’ privacy, “however we have no control over that process.”
The Spectator did not identify the boys in the original story or their family members.
The letter from Andre Blais, director of the MonAvenir French Catholic school board, addressed concerns raised after a teacher allegedly found one of the boys on his knees in a school washroom on Thursday, Nov. 29, with the other boy’s penis in his mouth. The boy on his knees had been the subject of bullying by a small group of students since September, according to his mother. The mother removed her son from Notre-Dame. As of late Wednesday afternoon, she said she hasn’t received an apology from the school or a full explanation about the incident and how it was handled.
The school’s principal, Anahid Ehab Hanna Elkes, did not respond to repeated phone calls and emails when first contacted about the incident, nor did superintendent Jean Magny and school trustee Marcel Levesque.
Instead, the board released a terse one-sentence statement on behalf of the three officials: “The board cannot comment on matters involving minors in its care.”
But on Wednesday, the board’s letter to parents stated the school entirely respected its directives and obligations, and followed the required procedures in keeping with their professional duty.
“We hope you understand the legal framework that’s in place and you will respect the decision of the MonAvenir board’s administration and the school’s leadership to not comment on the issue or respond to the story,” the letter stated.
The letter assured parents that students at Notre-Dame are secure and the school “offers your children a positive school environment at all times.”
“Be assured, there is adequate and reasonable supervision at all levels and the procedures are secure and well-established,” the letter added.
Blais, MonAvenir’s director, did not respond to requests for comment about his letter.
In an email, a MonAvenir school board spokesperson reiterated the board’s one-sentence statement from the previous day that it can’t comment on matters involving minors in its care.
“The content of the letter sent to the parents speaks for itself,” stated Mikale Joly, MonAvenir’s executive director of corporate relations.
One parent who received the letter Wednesday said she’s disturbed by the school’s ongoing lack of communication with parents. She disputes the letter’s contention the school provides adequate supervision and that procedures are well-established and secure.
The mother said parents should have been told about the incident before it appeared in a newspaper story. The Spectator is not identifying the mother because her child is in the class with the boys involved in the incident.
She said she only learned the full extent of the incident from the Spectator story. She said other parents at the school are saddened and completely shocked.
“Parents should have been aware,” said the mother. “If they don’t tell one story, how many other stories have they not told? How long has this been going on?”
“On very important issues, they’re dropping the ball,” the mother added. “My concern is that parents don’t have anyone to hold accountable when they have issues.”