Enough is enough! Now teachers are binding children with tape in classrooms?

BY PAUL JUNOR

In the few months since he was appointed new Director of the Waterloo Region District School Board (WRDSB), Jeewan Chanicka has had to respond on YouTube to alleged racial harassment.

At the beginning of November, a teacher was charged for taping two children with masking tape in the classroom. The Waterloo Regional Police Service investigated it after they got hold of a report by the Family and Children’s Services of Waterloo Region. One parent whose child attends Alpine Public School mentioned that their child is fearful while the other parent is still in disbelief.

Constable Andre Johnson of the Waterloo Regional Police Service reported, “As a result of a joint investigation by the youth protection unit as well as Family and Children’s Services of Waterloo, a fifty-two-year-old female has been arrested and charged with two counts of assault.” It is disturbing to note that one child stated that the teacher used tape to tie her to the desk while the other child mentioned that this was done on three separate occasions by the teacher.

In a response to these allegations, WRDSB’s Interim Chiefs Communications Officer, Eusis Dougan-McKenzie released a statement, which reads, “We are aware that Waterloo Regional Police Services made an arrest in relation to the reported allegations. The individual in question is an employee of the WRDSB, and when we were first made aware of the situation, the individual was told to go home.”

Both families told them that they believed that there were racial motivations behind the incidents. One of the fathers stated, “I want the school, I want the school board and I want Doug Ford to take action on it. I want my MPP to take action on it. Make sure it doesn’t happen to anyone. It could be your kid.”

Director of Education Jeewan Chanicka posted a video message to the community after several parents and other individuals expressed concerns with respect to the differential treatment of racialized students in WRDSB schools. The video message was posted to the board’s website and can be seen at www.wrdsb.on,ca. In the video message, he states, “As a director of education, and as a father, I have wanted to speak to you about these difficult issues. I’ve had to grapple with what I could possibly say that would give you comfort, comfort to parents, siblings, aunts and uncles, grandparents and caring community members.”

He goes on further to explain that due to the nature of the complaint and the due process of the investigation, the board is unable to make any comments. He explains, “I know that this does not respond to your fear, anger, pain – pain that has built on generations of experiences. We promise to do better. We promise to keep listening to you. We promise to keep working to address the concerns you have raised.” 

Director’s Chanicka response came after the Coalition of Muslim women met with the WRDSB on Monday, November 15^th, 2021, and presented their specific concerns with respect to the safety of their children after the assault charges against the teacher was reported in the media.

One of the members of the coalition, Fauzia Mazhr, reported that there are many questions that need to be answered by the WRDSB, and that the coalition would like a meeting to discuss how future incidents like this will be handled.