TDSB investigating incident of alleged antisemitism
Community rallies to support targeted Jewish student
The Toronto District School Board is investigating an incident that sparked a community rally outside a North York school Friday morning in support of a Jewish student.
In a letter sent home to parents Friday afternoon, Principal Katia Robles said the rally “was related to serious allegations involving students.” She said it was reported to administrators that “a small group of students were throwing stones, among other items, at each other at various times during the day” on Thursday. The letter does not specify further details about what happened or why.
Rally attendees, however, say the student they showed up to support was targeted because he is Jewish and the victim of antisemitism and bullying.
Speaking to The Canadian Jewish News, the boy’s mother alleged that last fall three kids surrounded her son in the schoolyard, telling him they wanted “to do to him what Hamas did to Israel.”
She said the incident was investigated by administrators, who said comments were made by both sides. In a separate incident, she alleges that two of those kids kicked her son and used words that could be identified as antisemitic. And that on Thursday during recess, the same kids allegedly spat in her son’s direction and threw rocks and sticks at him.
The Star was unable to reach the boy’s parents Friday.
Since Oct. 7, the TDSB has faced increased pressure to deal with rising incidents of antisemitism, antiPalestinian racism and Islamophobia in schools.
In a statement to the Star, Education Minister Stephen Lecce commented on the incident at the North York school, calling the allegations “disturbing,” and saying he expects the board “to move swiftly with the investigation and hold any student to account when they intimidate, bully or injure another student.”
“Broadly speaking, the gross rise of antisemitism needs to be a wakeup call to the Toronto District School Board: they need to do better,” said Lecce, who issued a memo on Oct. 10 to boards provincewide, calling on them to create safe spaces for students and staff.
Speaking to The Canadian Jewish News, the boy’s mother alleged that last fall three kids surrounded her son in the schoolyard, telling him they wanted ‘to do to him what Hamas did to Israel’
“I will again be communicating this expectation to the chair of the (TDSB), demanding leadership and action to confront the unacceptable rise of antisemitic violence and bullying in Toronto schools.”
Principal Robles said in her letter that the school wasn’t aware of any physical injuries as a result of the incident Thursday and was working with the affected students and their families to provide support, adding, “student safety is our number one priority.”
Robles said the board is “taking these allegations very seriously” and is “fully investigating to better understand what happened,” adding previous incidents will also be considered.
She said the school has provided learning opportunities on combating hate and racism, including antisemitism, and anti-bullying, calling it “important work” that will continue.