'This is not acceptable': More allegations of racist bullying at Montreal-area school
A Quebec woman is planning to open a complaint with the Quebec Human Rights Commission over the response of her son's elementary school to what she called racist bullying from other students.
"This is not acceptable, no one should be going through things like this," said Noemi Teran, whose 11-year-old son attends McCaig Elementary School in Rosemere, north of Montreal.
"I'm not getting treated like the other students in the school," said her son, who Teran requested not be named publically. "People say racist comments about me."
Teran is working with the Centre for Research Action on Race Relations (CRARR), a local advocacy organization that is filing the complaint on her behalf.
It would be the second complaint filed by the CRARR involving McCaig in the last five years.
In 2017, another parent filed a similar complaint against McCaig's board, Sir Wilfred Laurier, which was upheld by the commission. In 2020, it told the school board to pay Adrienne Charles $30,000 for the alleged bullying her sons faced at the school.
"Racism slurs, name-calling, the N-word, Black people [being] compared to gorillas" were among the forms of bullying Charles said her sons experienced.
CRARR Executive Director Fo Niemi says the case is now before the Human Rights Tribunal.
"How many more cases do you need to basically say that there's a problem?" he said on Saturday.
Teran says she feels education staff are not taking her complaints seriously.
"They roll their eyes, they trivialize it, as if it's not serious," she alleged – claims echoed by the CRARR in a Friday press release.
CTV News reached out to the school board, which denied the allegations.
"We disagree with the allegations and wish to state in the strongest terms, that they do not reflect our values, position, nor our standards of educational practices," wrote board spokesperson Maxeen Jolin in a statement.
"At the Sir Wilfrid Laurier School Board, we believe in and promote equity, inclusion and diversity. The CRARR has not communicated with us to validate the accuracy of any of these false allegations that do not reflect the facts."
"We do not and will not stand for discrimination against any individual or group, and we firmly believe that diversity is what makes us unique and stronger," Jolin continued, adding that the board was not able to provide further comments due to "confidentiality obligations."
Teran, assisted by the CRARR, says they are in the process of gathering evidence to support their complaint before approaching the commission.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Spectacular aurora light show to be seen across Canada Friday night
A rare and severe solar storm is expected to bring spectacular displays of the northern lights, also known as aurora borealis, across much of Canada and parts of the United States on Friday night.
Town of Fort Nelson, B.C., ordered to evacuate due to wildfire
The entire town of Fort Nelson, B.C., as well as the nearby Fort Nelson First Nation, has been ordered to evacuate due to an out-of-control wildfire.
Bouchard lifts Edmonton Oilers to 4-3 overtime win over Canucks in Game 2
Evan Bouchard scored 5:38 into overtime and the Edmonton Oilers bounced back for a 4-3 win over the Vancouver Canucks in the second round of the Stanley Cup playoffs on Friday.
McGill University seeks emergency injunction to dismantle pro-Palestinian encampment
McGill University has filed a request for an injunction to have the pro-Palestinian encampment removed from its campus.
Which Canadian cities have the highest and lowest grocery prices?
Where you live plays a big factor in what you pay at the grocery store. And while it's no secret the same item may have a different price depending on the store, city or province, we wanted to see just how big the differences are, and why.
Swarm of 20,000 bees gather around woman’s car west of Toronto
A swarm of roughly 20,000 bees gathered around a woman’s car in the parking lot of Burlington Centre.
Video shows naked raccoon catching B.C. family by surprise
When Marvin Henschel spotted a strange and hairless creature wandering through a front lawn in B.C.'s Lower Mainland, he could barely believe his eyes.
Barron Trump declines to serve as an RNC delegate
Former U.S. President Donald Trump's youngest son, Barron Trump, has declined to serve as a delegate at this summer’s Republican National Convention, according to a senior Trump campaign adviser and a statement from Melania Trump's office.
Out-of-control wildfire prompts evacuation alert for Fort McMurray, Saprae Creek Estates Friday night
An evacuation alert was issued for two Wood Buffalo communities Friday night, as crews battled an out-of-control wildfire near Fort McMurray.