Hate speech charge in school conflict welcome
A sigh of relief should accompany Monday’s hate speech charge against a former mayoral candidate and social media personality in Peel region. It is the first step toward closure of a painful open wound, and the possibility of healing.
A festering dispute over religious accommodation has poisoned the Peel District School Board, where an administrative procedure granting space to Muslim students for Friday prayers became contentious.
The board’s position is a matter of law; Ontario Human Rights Code requires school boards to reasonably accommodate such requests from all faiths. Nevertheless, about 600 people signed a petition to stop the prayers, held Fridays during lunch.
Among the most vocal objectors was Kevin Johnston, host of the right-wing YouTube channel Freedom Report. In March, he posted a controversial video offering a $1,000 cash reward to anyone who could “sneak a camera” into the prayers and capture Muslim students “spewing hate.” The reward hinged on identifying targeted students by face and name.
The board responded with a memo asking school administrators for extra vigilance while supervising Friday prayers to prevent inappropriate recordings.
The reward video followed a publicly attended board meeting where angry protesters ripped up a Qur’an. Many at the meeting were shocked by the anti-Islamic rhetoric, including Brian Woodland, the board’s director of communications and community relations.
“I was actually deeply shaken by what I heard,” Woodland said at the time. “I’m not sure I’ve ever in my life seen this level of hatred.”
In a strongly worded fact sheet, the board called protests a “campaign against Islam,” masquerading as concern about religion in public schools.
After a five-month investigation, Peel Regional Police charged Johnston with willful promotion of hatred. Police said the charge, which has not been proven in court, involves numerous incidents reported to authorities.
Hate speech charges under the Criminal Code are extremely rare. Not only do police and prosecutors need enough evidence to support a reasonable chance of conviction; they also require approval of the federal or provincial Attorney General, who considers whether bringing charges is in the public interest.
Monday’s charge should leave no doubt the public interest is firmly served by stemming the tide of hateful rhetoric targeting religious minorities.
Statistics Canada data show the number of reported hate crimes against Muslims rose 60 per cent in 2015, compared with the previous year. The trend, mirrored in the United States, has been tied to increased anti-Islamic rhetoric.
The threshold for hate speech is rightfully high. Freedom of speech is one of our most cherished values. But that freedom does not give anyone the right to put identifiable groups at risk of harm merely for who they are.
It is particularly essential to safeguard the inclusiveness of public schools, a unique environment where young people of diverse backgrounds can learn from their differences and dispel the ignorance at the heart of fear and bigotry.
As a police matter, the board officially has no comment on Johnston’s arrest. But speaking personally, Woodland says it’s a welcome development.
“For me, I have to say I am glad to see action taken against hatred,” he wrote in an email. “All in our community, our society, should have at a minimum the right to feel safe and included. As Canadians we need to stand for what we truly value.”
Woodland, who retires at the end of the month, concluded with a poignant quotation by Dr. Martin Luther King: “In the end, we will remember not the words of our enemies, but the silence of our friends.” write.robin@baranyai.ca