I.4 Mary Anne Gage persisted in her decision to take no action, smugly looking on as the applicant suffered harm, mistreatment, verbal and physical abuse, negative insinuations, lies and more. While she tried to determine how to defend and hide the Caucasian employees and student actions that were infringing on the Black applicant’s human rights.
I.5 It has been proven that Mary Anne Gage’s made the decision to not become engaged in the applicant’s situation. It is clear from the numerous correspondences where her refusal to put anything down in an email to prevent any contradictions in lies and her willingness not to hold anyone accountable for their discriminatory behavior is evident.
I.6 It is now basically time for the HRTO to request that Mary Anne Gage explain her actions for her lack of willingness to conduct thorough investigations, provide reasonable solutions that would have benefited the applicant rather than the Caucasian offenders and most importantly the HRTO needs to know why she allowed her staff to blatantly lie upon the applicant and did nothing to stop them?
I.7 Was it similar to Warren Hoshizaki and that it was because, although knowing “that racism still exists at the DSBN,” Mary Anne Gage believed it was just some racialized student leveling baseless accusations of racism against her DSBN employees?
I.8 Once more, Mary Anne Gage’s actions are abhorrent and extremely ironic because, despite her knowledge of “that racism still exists at the DSBN,” Mary Anne Gage deliberately ignored the applicant’s and his family’s developing concerns over the course of two years with the most minimal of efforts to get to the truth.
I.9 Her acts are all the more heinous because, in addition to being paid with tax funds by Caucasian taxpayers, she also received funding from the same racialized parent and students who she refused to assist.
I.10 Mary Anne Gage could have interjected in at any time, and at the absolute least, she could have shown some form of genuine interest and concern for the applicant and his family’s situation by making an attempt to properly investigate the racist behavior and deliberate lies by her employees.
I.11 Instead, the inexperienced Mary Anne Gage was given permission by Warren Hoshizaki to hijack the applicant’s circumstances, which led to the continuation of the unacceptable actions of racism and verbal and physical abuse against the applicant for two years.
I.12 She bears the final say on any employee’s conduct because she is the Superintendent of Education for ALL Elementary Schools. Mary Anne Gage has a mandated obligation to handle ALL claims of racism, prejudice, or discrimination with the utmost professionalism, accountability and propriety.
I.13 However, Mary Anne Gage had been recently handpicked and appointed Superintendent of Education for all elementary schools by Warren Hoshizaki. It is clear she was obviously unaccustomed to her new role and lacked the knowledge and experience necessary to address the applicant’s unique situation.
I.14 Warren Hoshizaki obviously was not concerned about any form of fallout or consequences from the applicant and his family’s concerns of racist behavior directed at their son by DSBN Caucasian staff and students. So without fear, Warren Hoshizaki allowed Mary Anne Gage to hijack the situation giving her a chance to test the waters of conflict resolution.
I.15 However, Warren Hoshizaki eventually had to conclude that there was no turning back the clock on Mary Anne Gage’s own incompetence that now caused “harm” towards the applicant and a shit-show mountain that was too high for the DSBN to climb out of. It was at this point we believe that Warren Hoshizaki began secretly arranging to “RETIRE” so as to leave Mary Anne Gage and her co-defendants to clean up after themselves!
I.16 Mary Anne Gage made the conscious choice NOT to defend or protect the applicant from “harm” caused by her students and staff who are all Caucasian. Additionally, she willfully disregarded the applicant’s and his parents concerns about racial acts committed against their son by DSBN staff members and pupils who are again Caucasian.
I.17 Mary Anne Gage has routinely disobeyed the rules and regulations that both the Ontario government and they themselves have imposed. Again, this always seemed to be a handy way to reward Caucasian perpetrators.
I.18 The racist, discriminatory DSBN culture and Mary Anne Gage were undoubtedly aware of the wrongs they were committing against the applicant, which is why they tried so hard to hide and dismiss it, as well as to disregard it. The applicant’s and his family’s treatment by Mary Anne Gage clearly goes against everything she says she is against. Mary Anne Gage, like Warren Hoshizaki worked hard to ensure that neither the applicant’s voices nor his parents could be heard!
I.19 Mary Anne Gage needs to face financial repercussions that will compel her to behave in accordance with her legal obligation and in a fair and impartial manner when future parents bring their concerns to her about racist behavior being directed at their children by racist DSBN employees or students.
I.20 Like Warren Hoshizaki, Mary Anne Gage was more than willing to say nothing, took no formative action and let some of her co-defendants paint a Black child/student as a spiteful, vengeful 12-year-old boy who so enrage that he was telling baseless and racist lies.
I.21 Mary Anne Gage needs to understand that she cannot avoid taking responsibility for her intentional ignorance about the long-standing discriminatory actions that were directed towards the applicant and his family for two years. That her biased actions caused a Black child/student and his family to suffer emotional distress, anger, frustration and physical harm among other issues.
I.22 Mary Anne Gage cannot be absolved of her responsibility for her failing to properly and fairly addressing the abuse, neglect and harm that the applicant and his family endured at the hands of employees and students.
I.23 While the applicant was being forced to live and deal with the endless amounts of assaults, bullying and racist incidents. It is evident that Mary Anne Gage had been actively and knowingly discriminating against the Black applicant and his family for two years simple for no other reason than the applicant was unfortunately a racialized student in a racist DSBN!
I.24 Would a student of Caucasian descent have been subjected to the same abuse, harm and treatment from a Black offender for the same two years? It never would have taken place because the moment the parents brought it to her attentions, she would have white people that thing all day long! The provided research and articles proves that!
I.25 “What we see time and time again is when a white student goes to the principal, vice-principal [or] guidance counsellor and says, ‘Sir, ma’am, this Black student has threatened me,’ not only does this school swing into action … in many instances, my clients have had the police called on them” Darryl Singer,
I.26 The fact that the applicant was a Black student in a racist DSBN makes it clear that Mary Anne Gage has been actively and deliberately discriminating against him and his family for two years! Just like Warren Hoshizaki proven refusal to hire racialized individuals to work at the DSBN for no other reason than they were racialized looking individuals.
I.27 It’s time for Mary Anne Gage to explain to the HRTO about her racist and discriminatory acts, which she has refused to discuss with the applicant and his parents. This same refusal that she does not wish to talk about, served as her justification for refusing the Black applicant his right to “equity, diversity, and inclusion” to an education in a public funded school that she was preventing him from attending. As she supported Jacqueline Ravazzolo had unjustly and illegally suspended/expelled him for 12 days at the approval of the DSBN, Warren Hoshizaki.
- October 7, 2022 “please know that your son has not been suspended from Connaught School.”
- October 18, 2022 “I did want to take this opportunity to again share that your son has not been suspended”
- October 31, 2022 “he has never been expelled”
I.28 And from the start, Mary Anne Gage has always used that strategy. Be evasive in your responses, or better yet, choose to ignore the parents concerns about their son being mistreated and bullied while in the DSBN’s care.
I.29 The HRTO must impose harsh financial penalties on Mary Anne Gage that make it abundantly evident to her and everyone in the DSBN and its racist culture that such deliberate practices are no longer acceptable and will not be tolerated in any capacity against any student who is racialized and their parents.