Jewish leaders call probe into TDSB anti-Israel field trip ‘troubling’

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Jewish leaders fear that a provincial investigation into a field trip authorized by the Toronto District School Board (TDSB), during which students participated in anti-Israel chants, is too limited in its scope.

In September, students from 15 TDSB schools attended the Grassy Narrows River Run rally in downtown Toronto. The demonstration was framed as an opportunity to learn about mercury contamination and Indigenous access to natural resources but featured anti-Israel chants and signage. Parents said they were informed that students would “observe and learn,” but not participate, as the crowd made its way to the provincial legislature at Queen’s Park.

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However, footage circulating online following the rally showed demonstrators chanting, “From Turtle Island to Palestine, occupation is a crime,” with some school-aged children joining in the chant. Banners demanding, “We won’t stop until Palestine is free,” and “From Wabigoon River to the Dead Sea, we will all be free,” were seen throughout the crowd.

“This excursion was organized as an educational experience for students to hear from Indigenous voices about the ongoing challenges faced by the people of Grassy Narrows, however a number of students may have been involved in or were exposed to political demonstrations during the trip,” TDSB acting chair Neethan Shan wrote in a public statement in late-September. “Staff expressed their regret and apologized to students and their families who were impacted.”

Public backlash following the protest led Ontario’s Ministry of Education to open an investigation into the field trip. In mid-October, human rights lawyer and academic Patrick Case, who previously served as the ministry’s chief equity officer, was appointed to lead the inquiry and review the TDSB’s policies and guidelines. The report was originally slated to be released before year’s end but has not yet been published.

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“The safety and well-being of students should always come first in our classrooms. Publicly funded schools should never be used as vehicles of political protest, ideology or discrimination,” the newly appointed Education Minister Jill Dunlop said following Case’s appointment. “We have a responsibility to act when a school board fails to take appropriate action.”

However, executives at the Jewish Educators and Families Association (JEFA) believe after initial consultations with members of the investigating team, including Case himself, little substance will come from the review.

“Unfortunately, we are deeply concerned that the integrity and validity of the investigation are materially compromised,” group co-founder Tamara Gottlieb wrote in a letter to Dunlop on Nov. 22. Gottlieb’s note outlined JEFA’s view that the scope of the inquiry was exceedingly narrow, excluding important considerations such as “professional standards established by the Ontario College of Teachers” overseeing field trips and the Ministry of Education policy requiring the proper vetting of speakers.

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Gottlieb’s letter also expressed concerns about the “thoroughness” of the investigation, saying that Case was confined “almost exclusively to the date of the field trip and to individuals who attended and are willing to speak out.”

In a subsequent email with investigators, which was shared with the National Post, Gottlieb highlighted the problem of excluding teachers who did not participate in the protest from the investigation. “These educators are in the best position to be able to explain why they felt under their professional duty that the protest was not an appropriate learning opportunity,” she wrote.

JEFA leader Aaron Kucharzcuk told the Post that Case recently submitted the report, but “it is unclear what the ministry intends to do about these various deficiencies in the investigation.”

“Following our meeting with the investigation team, we are concerned that these same policies and issues are being ignored by the investigator. The scope of the investigation is deeply troubling,” Gottlieb and Kucharzcuk said in a joint statement.

Case did not respond to National Post’s request for comment, while TDSB spokesman Ryan Bird referred the Post to the Ministry of Education for comment.

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“Mr. Case has completed his review of the TDSB’s policies, procedures and practices, including their implementation. The ministry is now in the process of reviewing the report’s findings and recommendations and cannot comment any further on the review at this time. The report, as well as next steps, will be released in the new year,” said Edyta McKay, a spokesperson for the education minister.

Michelle Stock, the Ontario vice president for the Centre for Israel and Jewish Affairs (CIJA), told the Post in a statement that while the group “cannot comment fully on the investigation without reviewing the complete report, we expect the Ministry of Education’s appointed investigator to properly review the board’s policies and subsequently that the ministry will implement real solutions to ensure incidents like the Grassy Narrows field trip never happen again.”

“Over the past year, Jewish students, parents, and teachers have faced silencing, bullying, and been targeted by hate simply for being Jewish. Let us be clear: geopolitics has no place in our schools. The TDSB is obligated to provide a safe and inclusive environment for all but has failed to do so. It is now the Ministry’s responsibility to hold the school board accountable. Anything less would be deeply troubling,” Stock wrote.

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