Ottawa high school students petition to remove principal over alleged racism
Students at Hillcrest High School in Ottawa took part in a walkout after some students say they have been victims of racist treatment. Allegations of racism have been swirling at the school for months and now the Ottawa Carleton District School Board is investigating the incidents.
"It’s clear to students that they’re not getting the same treatment as their white peers," Mae Mason, an Asilu Collective Board Member, said.
Asilu Collective is a community organization that seeks to end a program that puts police officers in schools; they also run an anonymous reporting tool and say numerous black and racialized students have submitted statements to them alleging racist behaviour by staff at Hillcrest High School.
Multiple students, who asked not to be named, tell CTV News the situation has worsened since the arrival of a new principal in February.
"The first week that the new principal came to our school, I was followed by her in the hallway. She came up to me and said that I did not look like I’m dressed for school and I don’t have a school bag," one 18-year-old Hillcrest High School student wrote in a statement to CTV News Ottawa.
"She waited outside the washroom for me and she followed me to my class. [A] couple weeks later she told me that I’m better off at adult high school and that I am influencing other kids to get in trouble and not [taking] school seriously," they continued.
The student says they later transferred to online schooling to avoid further confrontations with the principal.
Mason says Asilu has received multiple reports from racialized students that school administration is following students through the hallways and even into the washroom.
"She sent my cooking teacher into the washroom and he started to shake the stall door and told me to get the f—— out," a 15-year-old current student told CTV News.
"I came out of the washroom and [was] sent to the principal’s office where she asked me to take off my shoes and socks to see if I have (sic) a vape hiding somewhere. She did not find anything but I was suspended for a couple of days because she said I was acting suspicious at school," they continued.
The student added they are a new transfer to the school and are concerned about coming back next year.
"It really just tells students that they are seen as criminals, seen as troublemakers, seen as an other, before they’re seen as a student who is trying to learn," Mason said.
In one report to Asilu Collective, a student says the principal followed them through the hallway and, "made me show her my pockets that I was not going to vape…I wanted to use the washroom."
Ottawa Bylaw Services confirms to CTV News that they have been called to Hillcrest High School for reports of vaping and on June 17 issued fines for doing so on school property.
CTV News spoke with multiple sources who say the student, who was fined nearly $800, is black and was targeted due to her race.
Muslim students also alleged instances of discrimination. One student telling CTV News they felt questioned whenever they took part in daily prayers.
"I would be questioned on how long I took. I was told my prayer should take three minutes and I had unexplained time outside of the class that she will look into the cameras to find out where I was," the student wrote.
Now there are two petitions calling for the removal of the principal.
The Ottawa Carleton District School Board says they are aware of the petitions and taking the allegations seriously.
"The concerns raised have signaled to us that there are some students who do not feel that they have a voice," Darcy Knoll, a spokesperson for OCDSB, wrote in an emailed statement.
"Moving forward and into the next school year, we will be working to connect with students to work together to learn and grow forward. We want to listen to them to better understand their concerns, and work together to co-create an environment to respond to their needs."
Advocates say work needs to move quicker, warning that delays over the summer could lead to more alleged incidents in the new school year.
An investigation by the school board is underway, and multiple sources tell CTV News students are now speaking with the board’s Human Rights and Equity Advisor.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
'A beautiful soul': Funeral held for baby boy killed in wrong-way crash on Highway 401
A funeral was held on Wednesday for a three-month-old boy who died after being involved in a wrong-way crash on Highway 401 in Whitby last week.
'Sophisticated' cyberattacks detected on B.C. government networks, premier says
There has been a "sophisticated" cybersecurity breach detected on B.C. government networks, Premier David Eby confirmed Wednesday evening.
Police handcuff man trying to enter Drake's Toronto mansion
Toronto police say a man was taken into custody outside Drake's Bridle Path mansion Wednesday afternoon after he tried to gain access to the residence.
Biden says he will stop sending bombs and artillery shells to Israel if they launch major invasion of Rafah
U.S. President Joe Biden said for the first time Wednesday he would halt shipments of American weapons to Israel, which he acknowledged have been used to kill civilians in Gaza, if Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu orders a major invasion of the city of Rafah.
Rookie goalie Arturs Silovs to start for Canucks in Game 1 vs. Oilers
Rookie goalie Arturs Silovs will start in net for the Canucks as Vancouver kicks off a second-round series against the Edmonton Oilers Wednesday night.
Nijjar murder suspect says he had Canadian study permit in immigration firm's video
One of the Indian nationals accused of murdering British Columbia Sikh activist Hardeep Singh Nijjar says in a social media video that he received a Canadian study permit with the help of an Indian immigration consultancy.
Pfizer agrees to settle more than 10K lawsuits over Zantac cancer risk: Bloomberg News
Pfizer has agreed to settle more than 10,000 lawsuits about cancer risks related to the now discontinued heartburn drug Zantac, Bloomberg News reported on Wednesday, citing people familiar with the deal.
Quebec premier defends new museum on Quebecois nation after Indigenous criticism
Quebec Premier Francois Legault is defending his comments about a new history museum after he was accused by a prominent First Nations group of trying to erase their history.
U.S. presidential candidate RFK Jr. had a brain worm, has recovered, campaign says
Independent U.S. presidential candidate Robert F. Kennedy Jr. had a parasite in his brain more than a decade ago, but has fully recovered, his campaign said, after the New York Times reported about the ailment.