Statement of solidarity with York Region parents

Racism is unacceptable. Recent events in the York Region District School Board – including a series of Islamophobic posts on social media by a school principal and a York Region trustee publicly using a racial slur against a black parent – have highlighted the need for immediate action to address systemic racism in our schools.

 

School environments must be safe and healthy for students and for the people who work there. CUPE Ontario is proud to represent education workers in the York Region District School Board, who, like students and parents, are impacted by systemic racism.

 

Apologies – belated and begrudgingly given – are not enough. Our union stands with York Region District School Board parents in calling for strong, swift and concrete actions to combat the problem of racism in our education system.

 

We join our allies in demanding the implementation of anti-racist policies in the York Region District School Board and in boards across the province, from support of African heritage programming to the adoption of anti-racist policies including codes of conduct which would see all members of the school community held to the same expectations.