The Halton District School Board (HDSB) has opened an investigation into racist language used by a staff member at an Oakville high school. The HDSB itself has confirmed the incident contains, "harmful, discriminatory, anti-Palestinian racist language" toward a student.
The investigation began after the Muslim Advisory Council of Canada posted a video (originally filmed by a student) of an incident that took place last Friday, April 26, at Iroquois Ridge High School (IRHS) in Oakville, just north of Upper Middle Road and Eighth Line.
The video, originally posted on X (formerly "Twitter") and now widely shared on social media depicts an interaction between a student and one of the school's guidance counsellors.
In the video, a student wearing a keffiyeh (a checkered scarf typically worn in Arab cultures that has come to symbolize solidarity with Palestinian people) accuses the staff member of referring to him as a terrorist. The guidance counsellor counters this argument by saying that the keffiyeh reminds her of Hamas.
Following the student's accusation, of the staff member calling him a terrorist, she replies: "That’s the only part you heard. I said it reminds me of one, yes." When the student then asks, "Hamas?" the staff member replies, "Yes."
"I am not a terrorist, and you don’t treat me like a terrorist, but I look like one?" he asks again. "That reminds me of [one]," she again replies.
The full video can be seen below here:
We're troubled by @HaltonDSB Guidance Counselor likening a student to a terrorist for wearing a keffiyah-a cultural piece of clothing. We've alerted @HaltonDSB administration. More updates coming soon. #noroomforhate pic.twitter.com/aJNOYA2xvI
— Muslim Advisory Council of Canada (@MACCMuslims) April 28, 2024
In a letter published earlier today, April 29, HDSB has described the guidance counsellor's actions as "harmful and discriminatory."
John Steiva, the principal of Iroquois Ridge, wrote in that open letter saying, "the staff member in this video has been assigned home, pending an investigation by the Halton District School Board Human Resources Department into the incident."
Speaking to Oakville News, a spokesperson for Iroquois Ridge High School quoted the same letter, saying IRHS is, "deeply concerned by this and share our community's concerns that this behaviour is harmful and unacceptable. Anti-Palestinian racism, and racism in any form, is not tolerated at our school. Iroquois Ridge HS, along with all schools in the Halton District School Board (HDSB), strongly condemns this behaviour and are committed to upholding the Human Rights Code."
Staff for the school said they could not speak further on the story due to the ongoing investigation.
Speaking on the matter today, Ontario's Education Minister Stephen Lecce said, "We expect education staff to model behaviour and create a learning environment where everyone belongs. I am glad that Halton District School Board has taken swift action on this matter."
The staff member in the video did not respond to Oakville News' requests for comment.
