R.1 The Caucasian Leanne Smith is the actual superintendent for Thorold Secondary School. She is fully responsible for what happens within the school, including staff and student behavior. However, she is currently out of her office, and it is unclear when she left or will return. So the Caucasian Neil Sheard is now taken her place.
R.2 So the applicant’s parents emailed Warren Hoshizaki, Janice Sargeant, Leanne Smith and Neil Sheard several times about what their involvement and role they played in whole Kevin Elzinga and Cameron Stone’s racist situation.
To: Warren Hoshizaki warren.hoshizaki@dsbn.org
Janice Sargeant janice.sargeant@dsbn.org
Dated: December 07, 2023
December 08, 2023
December 10, 2023
December 12, 2023
Did you inform Leanne Smith and/or Neil Sheard about the incidents regards our son and September 25, 2023? The where the racist Caucasian student hurled racial slurs at a Black student and your employees Kevin Elzinga who “did not intervene” and Cameron Stone made up blatant lie that he “did interrupt and stopped and redirected students?”
We would like an detailed outline of what was said, by who and how “ the school is taking the appropriate action to ensure this does not happen again?”
To: Neil Sheard neil.sheard@dsbn.org
Trish Beaudoin trish.beaudoin@dsbn.org (Leanne Smith Administrative Assistant)
Dated: December 07, 2023
December 08, 2023
December 10, 2023
December 12, 2023
This email is being forwarded solely to inquire about your knowledge, if any, on the September 25, 2023, racist incident that took place at Thorold Secondary School.
We are trying to find out if you were told about the incident by Janice Sargeant and if you knew what roles the two teachers, Cameron Stone and Kevin Elzinga, had in all of it.
R.3 And once again right on cue, nobody was in the slightest way interested in responding to the parent’s reasonable and legitimate queries. Which appears to indicate that Neil Sheard and Leanne Smith must have known what had happened on September 25, 2023, and that they had both made the decision to refrain from taking any action against Kevin Elzinga and Cameron Stone.
R.4 If anyone reading the parents emails was unaware of the circumstances of that day. Would understandably wonder and responded with, “What are you talking about?”
R.5 However, the fact is that Leanne Smith and Neil Sheard did not ask a single question about what the parents were talking about. Which clearly seems to suggest that they were aware of these discriminatory occurrences prior to getting the parents emails.
R.6 Which leads us to the question, Why it is that Leanne Smith and Neil Sheard decided to disregard the parents emails about the racist incidents at Thorold Secondary School?
R.7 It has been proven that whenever the DSBN and its co-defendants are confronted and cornered, they invoke the great wall of silence tactic.
R.8 So if Leanne Smith and Neil Sheard were aware of the situation. Why wouldn’t they send a brief email to the parents stating “We are aware of the situation and are further looking into it. When our investigation is complete, we will get back to you.”
R.9 Because in the end, they knew about it, and like Janice Sargeant, they too did NOTHING ABOUT IT! They were essentially called out by the applicant’s parents, and they didn’t want to acknowledge that they had let two DSBN teachers escape consequences for their own discriminatory actions.
R.10 As public servants they are paid with tax payer’s money. Meaning they do not have any right or privilege to disregard and ignore any parent questions about the policies and mandates that have been put in place, just for the purpose of shielding and safeguarding students from encountering this kind of racist behavior in the classroom.
R.11 And yet, despite being public servants, paid by tax dollars. The Caucasian Leanne Smith and Neil Sheard both believes they didn’t have to respond or address parents questions about two teachers and students that tried to humiliate their son.
R.12 The level of arrogance exhibited by Leanne Smith and Neil Sheard is quite astounding. It really is unbelievable, because all they could have done was simply responded, but they instead chose to ignore the parent’s well-founded questions in relation to their son’s mental and physical health well at their school.
R.13 Leanne Smith and Neil Sheard don’t appear to realize that the Black applicant DID NOT ASK to be forced to watch and listen to this racist behavior, which offended, humiliated and upset him!
R.14 Leanne Smith and Neil Sheard appear to be unaware of the fact that the Black applicant DID NOT ASK to be forced to witness a DSBN employee, Kevin Elzinga sit back and do nothing but let this racist behavior continue until the Caucasian student was ready to end it!
R.15 Leanne Smith and Neil Sheard appear to be unaware of the fact that the Black applicant DID NOT ASK for Warren Hoshizaki and Janice Sargeant to ignore all this and allow ALL THESE OFFENDERS to walk away free and clear!
R.16 And yet, they all continue to ignore the applicant and his parents concerns that they themselves ( the DSBN’s racist culture and community) may not have handled these matters in a fair and appropriate manner. all in the name of still collecting tax payer money!
R.17 And since Leanne Smith and Neil Sheard along with Warren Hoshizaki, Janice Sargeant have once again refused to acknowledge the parents emails in regards to what steps were taken to address the racist behavior of Kevin Elzinga and Cameron Stone.
R.18 They ALL need to understand that they don’t get the privilege of staying silent. This is the same DSBN and its employees who spread their false propaganda about supporting and promoting communication between themselves and the families whose children attend their schools as well as live in the communities in which the schools are located.
- “In fostering an equity-minded culture, we started where we needed to be by creating brave spaces to actively listen, learn and collaborate with staff, students, families and community members.”
- “Engaging in courageous conversations on equity and designing new pathways to achieving equitable outcomes for all students.”
- “Building equitable and inclusive schools requires the work to be grounded in the Ontario Human Rights Code with intentional focus on: Student Voice”
- “Offered a consistent framework and intentional resources to support educators in having critical conversations to respond to hate-based, racist and tragic events.”
R.19 And yet when the questions get too hard, or their conduct gets called into question. It is determined by these public servants that communication between parents and themselves is no longer a necessity, but rather a luxury!
R.20 It is evident that Leanne Smith and Neil Sheard, like Warren Hoshizaki and Janice Sargeant, were well aware of the discriminatory actions of Kevin Elzinga and Cameron Stone. And in order to shield them from being held accountable for their willful acts of discrimination and racism. They all consciously implemented the DSBN’s unwritten universal plan of silence.
R.21 Therefore, it is crucial that Leanne Smith and Neil Sheard understand that it is not acceptable, nor justifiable to willful attempt to conceal and deny the discriminatory actions of two DSBN employees.
R.22 That among other things, their biased acts of bad faith as public servants, who are paid with tax funds,. Have once again caused the Black child/student and his family to experience emotional agony, fury and frustration.
R.23 Leanne Smith and Neil Sheard cannot be freed from their mandated responsivities and not appropriately and fairly addressing the abuse, neglect and harm that the applicant and his family have suffered at the hands of the DSBN, and their co-defendants.
R.24 It is evident that they believe they are above the mandates and policies that were created to prevent this type of behavior from actually happening in their classrooms.
R.25 The HRTO has to impose harsh financial penalties on Leanne Smith and Neil Sheard, making it abundantly evident to them and the rest of the DSBN’s racist community and culture. That these kinds of deliberate acts against parents and other racialized students are not acceptable and will not be tolerated in any way.
R.26 The HRTO must convey that it is unacceptable and goes against the DSBN’s and its employees unwavering commitment to promoting open communication between the DSBN and parents through their website, updates and emails.
R.27 That parents are legally entitled to know who has access to their children. And that in cases where there is a bad encounter between a school personnel and their child(ren). They will receive a thorough and accurate breakdown, along with an honest explanation of what transpired. That staying silent is not a luxury. It is a parent’s righto have regular, meaningful communication with every member of their school community as required!
R.28 And should a school board and its employees continue to engage in these troubling habits of keeping quiet about these kinds of issues. And when writing any orders, these actions will convey a bad impression upon the HRTO.
R.29 School boards and their employees need to be made aware by the HRTO that remaining silent is neither an excuse, nor a way to avoid being held responsible for offensive and discriminatory actions.
R.30 The HRTO must impose severe financial penalties on both Leanne Smith and Neil Sheard that make it clear that racism in our school boards and schools is unacceptable in the modern world. That if you wish to continue, school boards, its employees will be held financially accountable.