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To: Jacqueline Ravazzolo jacqueline.ravazzolo@dsbn.org
Mary Anne Gage maryanne.gage@dsbn.org
Dated: September 25, 2022

I have had an opportunity to speak with our son about the events of Friday September 23, 2022.

He explained to me that they were all playing as a group, running around and our son got tired and was lying on his side, on the ground catching a rest. A Caucasian student name Hunter, who is not a friend of our son and who was not part of the group playing. Unexpectedly and randomly came over and repeatedly started kicking our son in his ass and lower back area.

Our son told the student Hunter to “STOP!” which only seemed to encourage him to continue.

Our son once again in a loud and stern voice told the student Hunter to “STOP!” And the student Hunter continued.

Our son for a third time told the student Hunter to “STOP!” or it was going to result in the two of them going at it.

The student Hunter tried calling our son out on his words as being a bluff and continued to kick him in his ass and lower back area, while our son continued to try to roll and shift out of the way of his kicks.

Our son finally got up and chased the student Hunter and when he finally proceeded to catch him. Our son grabbed the back of his hoodie as he was running away, pulling him to the ground. Our son showed great restraint by not deciding to punch, kick, knee or strike the student Hunter during this encounter while HE WAS DOWN. Unlike Hunter who was physically assaulting our son while he lay on the ground. Our son only wanted to let the student Hunter understand that he was no longer going to take his physical abuse anymore and at any time he could end it if he wished.

A female teacher C. Vizzari, who is Caucasian was walking in the same direction of the situation, only got involved after our son grabbed and pulled the student Hunter to the ground using his hoodie. C. Vizzari called out saying “Hey (Applicants NAme) what’s going on? That doesn’t look right, what you are doing!” Our son replied that she needed to “talk to my father” about the situation. C. Vizzari replied, “There is no need to get him involved.”

At that time, our son quietly walked away as he was not willing to explain anything to a staff member due to his previous encounter with Jacqueline Ravazzolo last year when she implied that he was a liar.

Side Note: Last year Ravazzolo denied trying to guilt our son into apologizing to a racist Caucasian student named Marcus by saying “You do not have to apologize, but if you do apologize, it reflects on what type of person you are.” At the time Jacqueline Ravazzolo tried to guilt Black child/student into an apology to Marcus. Then vice principal Jacqueline Ravazzolo knew that the ignorant and racist Caucasian student Marcus had already hurled hatred comments at our son, telling him, “You are worthless” and “You should kill yourself.” and yet she still treated our son as if he was the one who had done all the wrong by standing up for himself against such cruel and hateful words.

So it is this exchange with Jacqueline Ravazzolo that has now resulted in our son not trusting or wishing to talk about anything relating to him and any situations that happen at Connaught Public School with any school employees.

And for Jacqueline Ravazzolo’s very questionable behavior last year, she was promoted to principal after Chris McInnis was suddenly and unexpectedly was removed from the position after many complaints from myself about having a preference for certain groups of students and parents. So now our sons see the justifiable views and actions of Connaught School and the system as being the type of school that rewards liars and individuals, who also have a preference for Caucasian students over Black, and now because of this, he does not trust the system and the individuals who work in it.

Back to the events of Friday, September 24, 2022.

C. Vizzari for a second time called out to applicant repeating her question. Our son stopped before entering the school and again repeated himself. C. Vizzari for a second time replied “there is no need to get him involved.”

C. Vizzari again for a third time called out to the applicant repeating her question and our son again replied “you need to speak to my father. I am going upstairs to get my things to go buy my lunch, you can go to the office and call him and fuck off.”

1 – Let me explain to you once again this year that our son is not a single individual’s punching or kicking bag, PERIOD! I think we have re-established this fact again.

2- When our son speaks it is clear that some individuals do not listen. There is a saying that those who do not hear – must feel!

Our son told the student Hunter on 3 different occasions to stop kicking him and even warned him that there were going to be consequences if he continued. The student Hunter chose to act as if our son was a “bitch,” and that he would not call him out for his unprovoked aggressive behavior towards him. The student Hunter subsequently learned differently. The student Hunter should be very thankful that our son could not be bothered to try and even the score for all the kicks he took.

3 – Again it seems that another staff member from your school does not understand that when our son says he wishes for you to call and speak to his father, this is what he means. Our son says what he means and means what he says. Let us try listening to him. This is not the time or place for C. Vizzari to start a debate or even try to negotiate with our son on this matter. Once our son stated he did not want to talk to her about it. C. Vizzari decided she was going to badger and harass him for an explanation because she wanted one. Hence provoking the “Fuck Off” comment.

C. Vizzari needs to learn that when someone says or acts like they do not want to talk to her in regards to something that has pissed them off. That really means they don’t want to talk to her. It does not mean for C. Vizzari to keep pestering them to the point where they need to use explicit language to get their point across to her. Only after our son told C. Vizzari to “Fuck Off” did she then decide she would go and speak to Kevin Maddalena about the situation outside with the our son.

4 – Sometime later that day C. Vizzari during the Terry Fox Run unexpectedly approached our son and requested to speak to him. C. Vizzari explained that she felt as if she deserved more respect from our son as she was bothered with the idea of having to go home and explain to her two children that a student disrespected her at work today when they ask her how her day was?

It seems that a growing pattern is forming here. Remembering last year when the former vice principal and now promoted principal Jacqueline Ravazzolo decided to try and guilt our son into an apology for standing up for his rights against a racist and ignorant Marcus.

Why does C. Vizzari feel the need to share her personal life with our son? Does she think that our son cares about her two children and their views and concerns for their mom’s day? That suddenly our son would feel bad for her and her two children and apologize? This is a classic case of what I call – White Parenting. This is a trend where white parents in today’s society feel the need to share all their personal and professional business with their children as if they are their best friends and not their children.

It appears that C. Vizzari feels that she must share her disappointments throughout the day with her children in an attempt to seek some form of sympathy from them. I am unsure why it is that C. Vizzari feels the need to burden her children with her daily life of disappointments. But it appears that she does not understand that her children have enough things to worry about each day due to just being children.

Let me explain that we DO NOT BURDEN our children with any concerns that we may encounter. We keep our concerns between ourselves and allow our children to be children and enjoy their youth and lives without our stress. It is not fair for any child(ren) to be subjected to and burdened with issues and problems in their parents’ daily lives.

I do not appreciate C. Vizzari trying to guilt our son into an apology by using the story of having to explain to her two children how she was disrespected at work today by a student.

5 – Also, the next issue is why is C. Vizzari talking about our son and his situation at home with her two children? Again white parenting.

C. Vizzari needs to understand that work is work, and home is home. C. Vizzari needs to leave work at work and not be talking about our son or other students or co-workers at home with her two children. They are children, treat them as so. If C. Vizzari really feels the need to vent, maybe she needs to take advantage of the mental health program offered through the school board or her union. I do not consider this to be professional nor is it a responsible type of behavior.

6 – There is also the issue of what is C. Vizzari telling her children? Did C. Vizzari mention to her two children that the child that disrespected her today was Black? Creating the beginning of a stereotype in her two children’s young minds?

C. Vizzari can reassure everyone all she wants in the world that she WOULD NEVER talk about a student’s race with her children. But let us remember she has admitted to our son that she does discuss with her two children her interactions with students from the school. So what makes me believe that the color of the student is the only thing that is off limits for her two children to hear about?

7 – Please inform C. Vizzari and all staff that when the applicant states to call his father, that means to call his father and nothing else.

Our son has chosen not to speak to anyone in regards to any issues that arise at Connaught School based solely on the ONLY fact of Jacqueline Ravazzolo’s deception and words to him last year. If our son chooses not to explain what happen to any staff member, it is not personal towards them. And with that said that means the discussion is then over. There will be no continuous attempts to repeatedly ask him over and over what happened, hoping to pressure him into talking. If our son wishes to speak with his father before speaking to anyone else, then this MUST and WILL be respected and the issue will be put on hold until he is available to talk with me from the first time he asks.

I suspect that we shall not have any more problems this year from your staff or other students as they have now seen and have learned that our son is not going to be taken advantage of for their enjoyment and amusement.