Another “This meeting must occur” Situation
Discussion: Janice Sargeant Email – November 03, 2023
74.1 The applicant will officially no longer be taking geography because he has been “absent for 15 days” according to DSBN policies.
74.2 Janice Sargeant seems to have borrowed heavily from Jacqueline Ravazzolo’s playbook. Is it a coincidence that the applicant and his family are the targets of retaliation from two Caucasian females for their son not wanting to come in and speak with them?
74.3 We all know, beyond a shadow of a doubt and supported by evidence, that the DSBN and Warren Hoshizaki definitely favor employing and promoting Caucasian females. It seems as though there might be more to this than first meets the eye. Do the DSBN and Warren Hoshizaki also make an effort to defend Caucasian females? This would explain these reassured females are allowed to have these negative sentiments toward Black students who are being bullied and face racism in their schools.
74.4 Like Jacqueline Ravazzolo and Mary Anne Gage and their “This meeting must occur before your son can return to school” Janice Sargeant appears to have taken the same approach. She states numerous times;
- Dated: October 23, 2023 – “If your son would like to discuss this incident with me he is welcome to at any time.”
- Dated: October 24, 2023 – “If your son would like to discuss the incident you shared on Oct 23/23 I would listen and seek to understand what happened and then determine appropriate next steps.”
- Dated: October 25, 2023 – “If you would like me to meet with your son through his concerns about the geography class.”
- Dated: October 30, 2023 – “I am happy to meet with him to work through his concerns about this class or discuss an alternative plan to see him continue to work towards earning 4 credits this semester.”
74.5 The applicant finally had enough on October 25, 2023, and refused to return to the extremely cruel and discriminatory geography class.
74.6 It is clear that when the DSBN, Warren Hoshizaki, Mary Anne Gage and Janice Sargeant refused to address a Caucasian student’s discriminatory actions and Kevin Elzinga a teacher who did nothing but watch it happen. Or question Cameron Stone another teacher who lied on purpose about, of all things, an obviously fake racial incident. It was pretty clear by this time the DSBN, Warren Hoshizaki, Mary Anne Gage and Janice Sargeant were not going to “determine” the proper course of action, much less take any action at all! Actions speak louder than words!
74.7 It was clear that the DSBN, Warren Hoshizaki, Mary Anne Gage and Janice Sargeant history of “appropriate next steps” was evidently as bad as jumping out of an flying aircraft without a parachute.
74.8 What they did offer up was the ridicules and irresponsible “options” of the applicant going back to the offensive and cruel geography class or he can intentional have himself segregated and sit in a room by himself without any other students and do his work like this for the next 3 months.
From: Janice Sargeant janice.sargeant@dsbn.org
Dated : November 03, 2023
I remain concerned that your son has not returned to his geography class since October 25th, which puts him at risk for credit loss this semester as we are required to demit him from this course if he remains absent for 15 days or greater.
We want to do everything we can to avoid credit loss this semester. We have offered options to you in our emails of October 26 and 30, which included the possibility of the General Learning Strategies credit that could be earned during period 4 in the resource room with the support of the resource teaching team.
In response, you indicated that you intended to address it in your HRTO material, which is within your rights to do so.
However, we would like to work with you to assist your son either re-integrate into his geography class so he can complete this credit or find another solution that does not leave him short one credit this semester, which we trust is a goal we would both share.
If this option is not agreeable, we would like to speak with you about other options to avoid credit loss. If you would like to engage with a different team member, I would be happy to arrange a time for you to speak with either the Vice Principal or guidance counselor about other credit options for your son during period 4.
Similarly, we would be happy to discuss options to preserve your son’s credit earning this semester with you and an advocate of your choosing. We welcome you to engage any advocate and set up a meeting with us. I understand that Mr. Hoshizaki had previously shared information about an advocacy organization parentsofblackchildren.org that is not affiliated nor a partner of the DSBN. We can also confirm that there are other Community Connections listed on the DSBN website Equity, Inclusion & Anti-Racism page dsbn.org/equity/community-connections that provide advocacy, build knowledge and offer community supports.
These are the options that we have brainstormed to date on how to engage with you on a plan forward so your son doesn’t lose a credit this semester but also would welcome your ideas as we really want to see him back in class and learning and earning his full credits.
74.9 Following the final email to the parents on November 3, 2023 the DSBN, Warren Hoshizaki, Mary Anne Gage and Janice Sargeant made the decision to step back and let the clock handle the task for them.
74.10 So when November 10, 2023, the fifteenth day had approached and passed. The applicant still had not “re-integrated” back into the geography class and will have to retake this class next semester. Which is better than the two disruptive and counterproductive options that were presented by the DSBN, Warren Hoshizaki, Mary Anne Gage and Janice Sargeant.
74.11 But the main issue is that they requested “options” from parents, and when they got them. Instead of the DSBN, Warren Hoshizaki, Mary Anne Gage and Janice Sargeant responding and trying to open a line of communication regarding the subject.
74.12 They instead chose to ignore the parents as they suddenly and conveniently couldn’t be bothered to address them for the reaming seven days before time ran out. They once again attempted to let the clock do the work for them.
74.13 Janice Sargeant indicated FIVE TIMES alone on November 03, 2023 that she was open to “options” from parents on how to get their son the missing credit.
- “We want to do everything we can to avoid credit loss this semester.”
- “or find another solution that does not leave him short one credit this semester.”
- “If this option is not agreeable, we would like to speak with you about other options to avoid credit loss.”
- “Similarly, we would be happy to discuss options to preserve your son’s credit earning this semester with you.”
- “also would welcome your ideas as we really want to see him back in class and learning and earning his full credits.”
74.14 And the parents did respond to their request with Mary Anne Gage’s previous suggestions in an attempt to get their son the credit he was missing out on.
- “Schoolwork from his current classroom could be available for pick up at the school or sent via email”
- “Instructional Outreach (between 5-10 hours per week of instructional support)”
- “Discuss an alternate school location”
- “I would like to suggest another possible option, online learning.”
74.15 So we now have the parents offering suggestions from the DSBN, Warren Hoshizaki, Mary Anne Gage and Janice Sargeant, and instead of addressing them, they all walked away without replying or commenting.
74.16 It is obvious that they were taken aback by the applicant’s parent’s reply, because they must have imagined they wouldn’t have bothered to consider any other options to help their son receive the missing credit. Thus, when the parents did present Mary Anne Gage’s previous solutions. They in an effort to shield themselves from any potential need for any other third parties from becoming involved, they chose to just ignore the parents.
74.17 This is in support of the theory that they did not want to take the chance of being found out by an impartial third party about Janice Sargeant’s racist behavior and favoritism for a Caucasian student, a Caucasian teacher, Kevin Elzinga who is complacent to racist behavior in his classroom, a majority Caucasian class that does not accept a students for absolutely no justifiable reason, and a second Caucasian teacher, Cameron Stone who lied for absolutely no reason about a racist incident that actually never happened in his class, and the deliberate protection that all of these other parties who were now providing protection for Janice Sargeant like they did previously for Jacqueline Ravazzolo. Thus, let the sleeping dog lie!
74.18 Another “WIN” for the DSBN, Warren Hoshizaki, Mary Anne Gage and Janice Sargeant is that the applicant is now down one less class, which means lowering the chance of any more encounters of racism or bullying happening. It’s obvious that these individuals were always secretly preparing and hoping to restrict the applicant’s ability to attend class in an effort to lower his chances by 25% of anymore possible instances.
74.19 The DSBN, Warren Hoshizaki, Mary Anne Gage and Janice Sargeant have never had the applicant’s education, wellbeing and safety in mind. Instead of protecting the applicant they were busy trying to protect Caucasian student, Caucasian staff and their own Caucasian selves.
74.20 When will the DSBN, Warren Hoshizaki, Mary Anne Gage and Janice Sargeant realize they have to intervene? Maybe when the applicant or another racialized student is physically assaulted and has to be admitted to the hospital!
74.21 The worse part about the whole situation is that the only loser here is the Black applicant. Because the DSBN and it racially bias Caucasian workforce have ALWAYS chosen to walk away as no one really wanted to see him in class and learning!
74.22 After asking the parents for suggestions at least five times, why would you disregard them now? They could have simply replied “these options don’t work,” and at least a conversation is taking place. However, they would now prefer to decide to leave after seeking solutions. Everything they said in their emails to the parents is obviously at odds with the way they are acting.
74.23 So much for the endless amounts of time they ended their emails to the applicant’s parents with “we welcome any future communication!” Once more, this is merely lip service because when given the opportunity to communicate with the parents, they declined!
74.24 What appears to be also not true is that at Thorold Secondary School, is the infamous Christopher McInnis “Every day we encounter new situations of conflict that we try to solve peacefully so that BOTH SIDES WIN.”
74.25 It always appears that in any incident that involves the applicant and a Caucasian students or bullies. They consistently prevail while the applicant is left ALWAYS felling and looking like a LOSER! He is always expect to adjust his education, beliefs, rights and safety to suit that of the DSBN, Warren Hoshizaki, Mary Anne Gage and the rest of the racist culture of employees who tolerate and accept this disgusting environment!