Racism At Keswick Ontario High School
UPDATE: (May 5th)
The York Region District School Board has reversed the decision of suspension in this case. The student/victim of the violent racial attack has been fully reinstated. However, charges against him for assault are still pending.
(Original Post)
Someone may wish to tell Keswick High School principal, Catherine McGinley, that her heavy handed suspension of the student who stood up to racial bullying and violence in the school, appears to be as offensive as the racial attack itself. (Principal McGinley was ALSO recommending that the victim be expelled by the School Board at their May 13th meeting!)
Someone may also wish to tell Ontario's Attorney General that these charges against the student are as offensive as the racial attack itself.
Globe & Mail
By the way .. here is Keswick High's 'Anti-bullying' policy!!
Anti-Bullying Policy
Bullying can take the form of physical, verbal, or emotional abuse directly or over communication networks (cyber bullying). At Keswick High School, there is a zero-tolerance policy on bullying which is supported by the York Region District School Board, and the Ministry of Education of Ontario.
You can contact principal McGinley (be polite) at:
Keswick High School
100 Biscayne Blvd.
Keswick, Ontario
L4P 3L5
keswick.hs@yrdsb.edu.on.ca
Main Office
905-476-0933
... Dr. Dawg has more!
Photo courtesy Michael Owen
Principal McGinley also recommended to the school board to expel him not just from Keswick High but all of York region school.
Apparently one of the vice principal told the kid that there's nothing wrong with being called racist names right after the incident.
Posted by Unknown | 10:08 am, May 02, 2009
Thank goodness the students were responsible and took action who protested. It sounds like this sort of racist behaviour has been going on at the school and in Keswick town for a very long time.
The whole town(police) is responsible because they have turned a blind eye to it for too long.
Posted by MetisArtistWoman | 12:31 pm, May 02, 2009
This is actually an extension of a rather typical response from teachers and school administrators: They try to be "even-handed" and apportion blame to both the bully and the victim. If the victim responds in the language bullies best understand, the "bully" label is applied to the erstwhile victim. It's one way the school system corroded my faith in humankind.
Posted by Mike | 1:45 pm, May 03, 2009