scaramouche

...born with the gift of laughter and a sense that the world was mad

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User: scaramouche
Irreverent, contrarian, delighted to be out of synch with the zeitgeist, I depend on my sense of humour (such as it is) to keep me sane in this wacky world.

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Wednesday, 18 November 2009

Kudos to Ontario’s “human rights” apparatus for another successful shakedown: Here’s the skinny--a student at an Ontario Catholic school tells the class his mom’s going back to school. The teacher comments she shouldn’t have too much trouble fitting in because she looks young. And why does she look so youthful? “Because she’s black.”  
Ooops!
The student and his mishpacha take great umbrage to this obviously  “racist” comment and file a grievance with the local “human rights” shakedown artistes. Rather than having to face years of harassment investigation, the school board decides to settle for an unspecified sum of dough-re-mi. The local rag has the gruesome details:
The Catholic school board has settled a racism complaint lodged by a student and his family.
In August 2008, Vidoll Regisford appeared before Dufferin-Peel Catholic District School Board trustees at a public meeting and requested they address “anti-black racism” aimed at students by faculty members.

He demanded the board take some action to address incidents of racism in classrooms and establish a better bureaucratic process for dealing with complaints.

His son, who was in Grade 11 at St. Thomas Aquinas Secondary School in 2007, was making a presentation in his English class when his teacher made what the family considers a racist, if not stereotypical, comment.

According to Regisford and his son, discussion surrounded middle-aged people returning to school to further their education. The teenager mentioned his mother was back in school, but partially able to fit in because she looked young.

According to the family, the teacher interjected his mother looked young because she is black. Regisford said the comment was a stereotypical remark that certainly had no place in a educational environment.

Feeling discriminated against and dissatisfied with action taken by the board, the family filed an application with the Human Rights Tribunal of Ontario.

In a brief news release issued Monday, the school board announced the issue had been resolved to the “satisfaction of both parties” and the family was encouraged by equity initiatives underway at the board.

“That’s all I can say about the settlement,” said Bruce Campbell, the board’s communications and community relations manager. “The terms are strictly confidential.”

Campbell noted there are several implemented and ongoing steps being taken to address equity, diversity and discrimination issues in schools and among staff. He mentioned the board is currently in the process of developing a human rights policy and procedures. Scheduled completion is next spring.

The board is also revising its equity policy, has implemented an employment equity policy and is providing human rights education for staff, he pointed out.

In 2005, the board agreed to implement anti-racism training for principals in response to human rights complaints alleging skin colour played a part in the suspension of some students.

The Ontario Human Rights Commission mediated a settlement between the board and complainants. The board agreed to implement steps that included anti-racism and anti-discrimination training for staff, reviewing board equity policies, actively recruiting minority teachers and taking measures to increase racism awareness in schools. The measures are part of a list of steps Dufferin-Peel committed to over several years.
I must be really “racist,” because I would have taken the teacher’s remark as a compliment.

Posted by: scaramouche at 11:23 | link | comments (2)


Comments:
#1  19 November 2009 - 01:43
 
As a former employee of the Dufferin-Peel Separate School Board, I think this family is way out of line. The Board discriminates because it only hires Catholic teachers. I guess that's legal, even if it is funded by Ontario taxpayers. However, the Board in general is accustomed to children of every possible shade and hue from around the world. In my experience, they see their school staff and student population as "family". The 'Human Rights' cabal is one step away from being a criminal organization. Extortion by decree.
Anonymous
#2  19 November 2009 - 10:22
 
PC, "human rights," "hate speech," "diversity"--in the final analysis it's all power and control (and, as such, a tad totalitarian).
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