School board publishes report on racism triggered by racist video featuring blackface teens

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MONTREAL – After two girls from John Rennie High School were filmed last year using vulgar and racist language, the Lester B Pearson School Board commissioned a report to review its policies.

The 143-page report produced by the task force reveals that students experience discrimination based on a number of factors: religion, sexual orientation and race.

The council said the video made them aware of the need to improve learning and the social; experiences of its diverse student body.

Key strategies include teaching tolerance towards different religions, teaching holidays celebrated by religious groups that are not only Judeo-Christian, and involving speakers from different cultural communities.

“I think this is important, not just in schools, but in all businesses, in all organizations,” said task force chair Dr. Myrna Lashley. “We have to do a self-examination, we have to stop looking at our belly buttons and assuming it’s all right like that. We know it’s not.”

The report also points out that there are inconsistencies in gender language in the regulations of the LBPSB.

“It is not only important that young people feel included, respected and cared for by being referred to by their chosen name and the correct pronouns, it is important for young people to see non-sexist language used in their environment, ”the report reads.

Therefore, the report recommends updating materials and advising teachers to use gender neutral language in classrooms.

Later, the report recommends gender-neutral toilets and updating pictograms on facilities.

“We have a collective obligation to continue to educate our students about the dangers of letting injustice as well as racist and discriminatory attitudes of all kinds prevail and go unchecked,” said LBPSB President Noel Burke.

The board said it wants all of its schools to study the report and put an action plan in place by the end of the fall.

The mother of the boy who was the target of the racist video filed a human rights complaint against the people who made the video and demanded that the blackface be labeled a hate symbol.

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