Man charged for antisemitic threats against Ottawa family doctor

Ottawa-Carleton District School Board trustee Dr. Nili Kaplan-Myrth says she was subject to a threatening and antisemitic phone call against her which has led to a 39-year-old man from British Columbia being charged with hate-motivated offences on Monday.

In a press release on Monday morning, the Ottawa Police Service Hate and Crime Bias Unit say they charged a man with several offences for a phone call against a healthcare professional which also included mysoginistic and intimidating threats, but did not name the victim.

Dr. Kaplan-Myrth, an outspoken family doctor in Ottawa, posted to social media on Monday morning that she was the target of the alleged phone call.

"I have been living in fear because of threats and antisemitic harassment," she wrote in the post.

Police did not provide other details on the suspect and he was not named. The man is scheduled to appear in court in January.

Kaplan-Myrth says she has been the subject of antisemitism and threats on social media since she was elected as an OCDSB trustee in last year's municipal election. She has been an advocate for LGBTQ+ rights and public health policies, including mask mandates.

Kaplan-Myrth is Jewish and the granddaughter of Holocaust survivors.

"The person who is going to be charged in BC is just the tip of the iceberg," Kaplan-Myrth told CTV News Ottawa on Monday. "We've had more than two dozen very serious threats of violence, antisemitic threats sent to me via email and via phone at my office and it's not okay."

Last year, Ottawa police put out an arrest warrant for a Windsor man who was also accused of making threats against Kaplan-Myrth.

"It remains to be seen what will happen but I'm at least reassured that they're laying charges," she said Monday.

Kaplan-Myrth has filed a human-rights complaint against the OCDSB last week, saying the board failed to address her complaints of online and in-person antisemitism, despite multiple attempts to raise the problem with trustees and senior staff.

The OCDSB's Integrity Commissioner recommended the school board bar Kaplan-Myrth from attending the next board meeting and from attending any committees, including committee of the whole, for a length of time the board deems appropriate. Trustees will vote on sanctions at the OCDSB meeting on Tuesday.

She has vowed not to resign from her position.

The charges come one day after an Ottawa youth was arrested and charged with terrorism-related offences that allegedly targeted Jewish people.

Local politicians, the Ottawa Police and advocacy groups have been raising the alarm about a reported rise in hate crimes against Jewish and Muslim communities since Hamas's Oct. 7 deadly surprise attack in Israel, prompting that country's military offensive in Gaza.

With files from CTV News Ottawa's Ted Raymond, Peter Szperling and The Canadian Press