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To: Christopher McInnis chris.McInnis@dsbn.org
Dated: September 28, 2021

Hello Mr. McInnis, please allow me this opportunity to explain our son’s side of events as your vice-principal, Mrs. Ravazzolo, could not be bothered to.

Marcus approached and came within less than 6 feet way from him and asked him if he had a girlfriend? After some conversation, Marcus got angry and started hurling hateful comments at our son, telling him, “You are worthless” and “You should kill yourself”.

At that point, as Marcus was clearly close enough, our son grabbed Marcus by his hair, pulled him downwards, and then immediately let him go.Our son showed great discipline and chose not to strike Marcus, even though he was presented with the opportunity to do so.

Marcus then ran over to Mr. Maddalena, and I would guess, explained his biased recollection of what just happened. Mr. Maddalena then signaled for our son to come over to where he and Marcus were standing. Our son approached, and Mr. Maddalena nicely asked the applicant “What was going on?” Our son started to explain what happened, and Marcus quickly interrupted and started denying our son’s recollection of events from minutes earlier.

Mr. Maddalena explained to both of them that this was “not to happen again” and to respect the Covid spacing rules and the no-touch policy and then sent both children about their business. Marcus then asked Mr. Maddalena if he could go to the office as his “head was hurting”. Mr. Maddalena said “okay”, and off Marcus went.

Mr. Maddalena at this time, explained to our son that “you might have to go to the office about this situation later,” but until then he can leave. Mr. Maddalena also explained to our son that “You need to get use to his (Marcus) behavior” and the “swearing” as this was normal behavior for Marcus.

It is clear that Mr. Maddalena was trying to help our son understand Marcus’s inexcusable behavior and try to help our son avoid any future conflicts by implying that he should not allow Marcus to get under his skin. It is clear that Mr. Maddalena is very familiar with Marcus and his foul mouth as he explains to our son about Marcus’s swearing problems despite Marcus not swearing during this interaction.

I will assume it is at this point your Caucasian vice-principal Mrs. Ravazzolo crossed paths with Marcus at the office and decided to hear his side of events, which subsequently led to Mrs. Ravazzolo pulling our son from Mr. Maddalena’s class and into the hallway.

After being summoned into the hallway by Mrs. Ravazzolo, she asked our son, “What happened outside?” Our son stood in silence, not wanting to talk without me, his father being present. Mrs. Ravazzolo asked a second time our son “What happened outside?”

Our son started explaining the situation from the beginning, and when he got to the part on how Marcus told him, “You are worthless”. Mrs. Ravazzolo abruptly cut our son off, stating, “There’s always two sides to a story” and that she knew our son was a “good kid” and that he “did not mean to do it”.

After Mrs. Ravazzolo heard the Caucasian bully Marcus’s entire bias side of events; she did not care to hear any more negative things about Marcus from the Black student, which was conveniently good for the bully Marcus.

And if Mrs. Ravazzolo would have allowed our son to continue without abruptly cutting him off. She would have also learned that Marcus stated that our son “should kill yourself.” With this very convenient and limited knowledge of what happened outside. Jacquelin Ravazzolo then asked our son if he wanted to apologize to Marcus for pulling his hair. Our son stood silently again and did not respond as he did not feel like he needed or should have to.

Mrs. Ravazzolo followed up her question with, “You do not have to apologize, but if you do apologize, it reflects on what type of person you are.” Our son eventually agreed as he felt pressured and guilted to apologize as he did not want Mrs. Ravazzolo to now “reflect” upon him as being a troublemaker by not apologizing, and therefore, he would no longer be the “good kid” that she said she thought he was.

Our son was more concerned about being judged by Mrs. Ravazzolo than standing up for his actions in stopping a bully like Marcus and the verbal assault on his dignity, worth, and value to society. At that point Mrs. Ravazzolo now decided she would bring our son to the office setting so he could apologize to his bully.

Once there, our son was guilted into apologizing to the smiling bully Marcus for pulling his hair while Mrs. Ravazzolo explained to Marcus that ”(Applicant Nam)did not mean to do it.” Our son then headed back to Mr. Maddalena’s class and we will assume Marcus went home due to the pain in his head, and he was not disciplined by the school.

So let me start with the obvious questions.

Why is it that Mrs. Ravazzolo is guilting and forcing a young Black child/student to apologize for defending himself from the verbal assault from a Caucasian bully Marcus who tells a Black student that “You are worthless” and that “You should kill yourself?”

Why is it that J Mrs. Ravazzolo did not make the Caucasian bully Marcus apologize to our son for the inexcusable verbal assault directed towards him for no reason?

And if our son had refused to apologize, “What type of person” would have the Black student become to Mrs. Ravazzolo, the vice-principal of Connaught Public School?

Is it your policy that ONLY PHYSICAL bullying is not acceptable at your school when it is the kind done by Black students towards Caucasian students?

Is it your policy that Caucasian students can make statements like “You are worthless” and “You should kill yourself” as long as it is directed at a Black student?

Is it your policy that only the Black students apologize for their actions, even when justified?

Is there any reason why Mrs. Ravazzolo ONLY statedour son “did not mean to do it” to the smiling Caucasian bully Marcus? Placing the blaming solely on our son and not Marcus for the situation.

As I explained to Mrs. Ravazzolo yesterday, our son has on several occasions tried to seek help in trying to deal with Marcus behavior from your staff outside. And like every school that our son has attended before yours.Your staff ignored the Black child’s request for help and dismissed it as nothing of concern. Despite that, every time someone calls our son’s name in something, your staff, without hesitation, lectures our son about proper behavior and conduct while at school if he is involved or not.

It appears that our son is guilted and feels forced to apologize and learn how to be the “good kid” because the Caucasian Marcus managed to get to Caucasian Mrs. Ravazzolo first. I wonder if Black student would have benefited from this privilege if he had gotten to Mrs. Ravazzolo first? Would that mean that the bully Marcus would have gotten the exact same “There’s always two side to a story” treatment that our son received from Mrs. Ravazzolo when trying to explain himself? Would the Caucasian Marcus have to apologize to our son if he also wanted to be still considered as a “good kid? And would Mrs. Ravazzolo then explain to our son that the Caucasian Marcus did not mean to say these nasty and hurtful words like “You are worthless” and that “You should kill yourself?”

Our son went to your staff outside about Marcus pushing him from the second week into school, and what happened? Nothing! Your staff sluffed our son off and told him he “should play somewhere else.” Our son then again for a second time sought help from your staff outside in dealing with Marcus, following him around the schoolyard and taunting him. And yet again, our son request for help went unanswered, and he was again told to

Of course, the Black student is always the problem! So the Black student needs to remove themselves from the equation and leave the Caucasian student alone. So eventually, our son realizes that things have not changed at this school either and takes it upon himself to resolve this one situation.

It is clear that Marcus is a spoiled brat and acts out, and his lack of respect for students and professionals is learned at home. It is evident as Marcus has fearlessly called the French teacher Mrs. E. Bourke “A FUCKING BITCH!” in class, in front of all the students, and was ONLY GIVEN A VERBAL WARNING! My take on this is that NO CHILD should be swearing at a French teacher, no matter how much I hate French class! But I guess if the French teacher Mrs. E. Bourke is okay with it, who am I to disagree with her and fight for her rights as a professional?

But in my world, Marcus would have been sent home, and that is the end of that. But it appears like Mr. Maddalena, Mrs. E. Bourke, and now Mrs. Ravazzolol, write it off as some personality disorder, making it acceptable, and therefore, there should be no consequences for this type of disrespect and bullying behavior.

That is great; you do you!

But what kind of message is being sent to students who watch this play out in their classrooms time and time again? It shows other students that there is no need to respect their teachers as individuals or as professionals.

Lucky we have raised our children to have respect for people and their feelings. But we also did not raise them to turn a blind eye to abuse and hatred being directed at them even when those paid to protect them from it at school, and don’t do it!

So when our son decides to take control of the situation because you and your staff refuse to assist him when he reaches out for help. DO NOT CALL ME ABOUT IT! Because our son appears to be the ONLY PERSON willing to stand up to this CHILD BULLY in an entire school of adults!

If the bully Marcus has no fear of calling the Mrs. E. Bourke “A FUCKING BITCH!” A person who he should respect, and should have authority over him. And he doesn’t! Who is our son to him? And when our son reaches out to your staff about Marcus’s behavior twice, they do NOTHING because poor little spoiled Caucasian Marcus might get mad. How long should our son tolerate Marcus’s attacks and bullying?

When I was in school, teachers led by example; they took charge of situations. They were in control of their classrooms and the playground. Well, it appears that Marcus is in charge and in control at your school. So as long as Marcus is running things and making derogatory comments like a Black student is “worthless” and that they should “kill themselves,” Marcus is going to get his ass busted for it. And I am sure as the sun will rise tomorrow, our son will not be the only student to put this spoiled little brat in his place this year.

About your Mrs. Ravazzolo. I do not appreciate her speaking with our son in the hall to make an example of him in front of other students or staff passing by. Again Mrs. Ravazzolo makes the situation look as if our son is some Angry Young Black Man that has to be pulled from his class and dealt with in a hallway while the Caucasian Marcus gets the privilege of dealing with it in a private office setting.

Is there any reason why Mrs. Ravazzolo could not ask Mr. Maddalena to send our son to the office, please? Our son did eventually make it down there if only guilted into apologizing to his bully. Again being Caucasian, Mrs. Ravazzolo clearly does not understand the struggles that our son and his sister have to deal with each day with the racist Ontario School Board System that is designed to hold them back because of a simple thing like their complexion. You can sit in your office and say it does not exist in the system or your school, but we both know it does!

It is clear that your Caucasian, Mrs. Ravazzolo was more concerned about hearing the biased recollection of events from the Caucasian Marcus than she was from our son as she interrupted him and would not allow him to finish his explanation of what transpired, nor did she appear to care.

In fact, I spoke with your Mrs. Ravazzolo yesterday about this situation, and I literally had to yell into the phone “SHUT-UP” so I could word in as she also abruptly cut me off and refused to shut up and allow me to talk, after me trying to interject on three occasions. Mrs. Ravazzolo likes to impose her thoughts on others and does not allow individuals to express their opinions on a situation. So I undoubtedly believe our son when he says that Mrs. Ravazzolo cut him off before he could finish explaining what happened.

I also find the irony of all this hilarious! Why can the bully Marcus infringe upon our son‘s Covid-19 rights of having a required 6 feet separation from everyone? Of which our son was doing at the time.

And after infringing upon our son’s rights, Marcus then throws hatred and hurtful words like “You are worthless” and “You should kill yourself” at him, and Mrs. Ravazzolo is more concerned about an apology to the bully Marcus.

Covid-19 is real; hence, the case in our son’s class right now as we speak. And because of this, our son is home today and is not attending the Bully Presentation at your school. This same presentation that was supposed to teach bullies like Marcus why they should not be bullying students and teachers and saying things like, “You are worthless, You should kill yourself, YOU’RE A FUCKING BITCH!”

Well, I guess we can all use that excuse to justify the bully Marcus’s future behavior as he was unable to attend the Bully Presentation in 2021. And therefore Marcus does not have to be a “good kid” and respect individuals and their feelings. Maybe next year, the bully Marcus can attend the Bully Presentation in 2022.

And with that said, I am going to close this out with a request. From this point forward, NO ONE is to talk with our son about any situations involving him without his mom or me being present. As he has the right to stay silent, and from this point, he will enforce that right and will not be guilted into feeling like he has to explain or apologize for anything to an adult or a bully.

It is clear that Mrs. Ravazzolo and your staff did not care, nor were they interested in what our son had to say when he was reaching out for help or trying to explain himself as “There’s always two sides to a story.”

So with these actions being taken by your staff. No one is allowed to question or try and guilt our son into anything until his mom or I have spoken with him.