TDSB field trip to rally compromised 'emotional safety of some Jewish students,' report says

Muriel Draaisma · CBC News

· Posted: Apr 23, 2025 10:02 PM EDT | Last Updated: 41 minutes ago

A study that looked into a tract travel by the Toronto District School Board past twelvemonth says the "emotional information of immoderate Jewish students was compromised" astatine the lawsuit but not their carnal safety, and that the board failed to travel its ain policies and procedures erstwhile it organized the excursion.

The report, released Wednesday and written for the provincial authorities by erstwhile Ontario civilian servant Patrick Case, looked into the tract travel to the Grassy Narrows River Run successful Toronto connected Sept. 18, 2024, wherever pro-Palestinian chants were heard and anti-Zionist stickers were worn by some.

Following an outcry, Ontario Premier Doug Ford asked the acquisition ministry to analyse the tract trip, saying children shouldn't beryllium astatine protests and should alternatively beryllium successful schoolhouse learning math, spelling, geography and history.

"Despite the information that the TDSB failed to comply with its ain argumentation and process that are intended to guarantee pupil safety, with respect to the planned tract travel to the Grassy Narrows River Run event, determination was nary grounds that 'students were forced to enactment successful a governmental protest' nor was students' carnal information compromised," the study says.

"That said, the affectional information of immoderate Jewish students was compromised. Teachers and principals should beryllium much consciously anticipatory with respect to projected tract trips and intelligibly pass with parents."

The report's decision says successful part: "There is worth successful engaging students successful constructive and captious conversations and contented portion upholding quality rights principles and respecting each student's individuality and lived experience."

The Grassy Narrows River Run march was held to unit the authorities to code decades-long mercury contamination successful Grassy Narrows First Nation since a insubstantial mill successful Dryden, Ont., dumped 9,000 kilograms of the substance into the stream systems successful the 1960s.

The TDSB took astir 535 students, ranging from grades 3 to 12, from 19 schools to the event. The lawsuit progressive a gathering astatine Grange Park, a march to Queen's Park and a gathering astatine Queen's Park.

Videos connected societal media showed immoderate march participants chanting pro-Palestinian slogans, which prompted Ford to telephone it a "Palestinian rally" and kick that teachers were trying to indoctrinate children.

Pro-Palestinian chants lasted minutes: report

According to the report, participants did chant pro-Palestinian slogans and wore anti-Zionist stickers astatine the rally.

One chant heard, according to students interviewed, was: "From Turtle Island, to Palestine, concern is simply a crime." One pupil besides believed they heard: "From the stream to the sea, Palestine volition beryllium free."

The study says the chanting did not past agelong fixed the magnitude of the event, which was attended by thousands of people.

"Without minimizing the deleterious effect of the pro-Palestinian chants and anti-Zionist stickers connected children, I cannot overstate the value of context. According to those who attended the lawsuit (both Jewish and non-Jewish students and teachers), the pro-Palestinian chants took up a full of astir 5 minutes of the eight-hour event," the study says. 

The study besides notes that the TDSB principals of each 19 schools failed to get support from their superintendents for the tract trip, which is required by the board's ain policy because the tract travel was not connected an approved directory of excursions. It besides failed to bash truthful astatine slightest 1 period earlier the trip.

But the study says: "Every TDSB pupil nether the property of 18 who attended had done truthful with parental oregon guardian consent; those students implicit 18 were capable to supply their ain verbal consent. No genitor oregon guardian reported to maine that their kid attended the excursion without their consent." 

New Education Minister Paul Calandra told reporters connected Wednesday that the TDSB didn't travel its ain rules.

"Had the committee conscionable simply followed the procedures that it had already enactment successful spot for approving trips similar this, past possibly they would not person been successful the presumption that they were in," Calandra said.

The study makes respective recommendations, including that:

• The TDSB should not organize field trips where it is "anticipated that one-sided governmental views mightiness person the effect of denigrating the individuality of others."
• Teachers should beryllium required to signifier a discussion with students astir the quality of "anticipated views" earlier a tract trip, guarantee that they code pupil comfortableness levels with peculiar views, including aft returning to schoolhouse and speak with students astir "perceived challenging behaviour oregon views."
• The Ontario Education Ministry should develop a mandatory three-part nonrecreational improvement bid for each trustees and elder committee leaders connected "addressing and facilitating conversations" connected antisemitism successful schools and connected the erasure of Palestinians successful schoolhouse life.

In a connection connected Wednesday, the TSDB said it has received the study and taken action.

"Following the tract trip, we strengthened our excursion approvals process and provided wide absorption to schools regarding tract trips. In the fall, Trustees requested an expedited reappraisal of TDSB's excursion argumentation and procedure, and it volition beryllium informed by the report's recommendations," the TDSB said.

Distinction betwixt emotional, carnal information 'offensive'

Michelle Stock, vice president Ontario, Centre for Israel and Jewish Affairs, said successful a connection connected Wednesday that the study is disturbing because it dismisses the lived acquisition of Jewish students, families and educators. 

"For the past 18 months, Jewish students, parents, and unit crossed the TDSB person endured a relentless run of intimidation, silencing, and antisemitic maltreatment —all for simply being Jewish. No pupil successful Toronto should beryllium subjected to the trauma of proceeding crowds chant genocidal slogans. Yet that is precisely what happened — and it happened connected a school-sanctioned tract trip," Stock said.

Stock said Case, the investigator, makes a favoritism betwixt affectional and carnal information but minimizes the severity of the interaction by making specified a distinction.

"This favoritism is offensive. It shows a shocking deficiency of knowing of trauma and efficaciously erases the intelligence toll of targeted hate."

Stock said the study is "tone deaf' and "dangerous" due to the fact that it sends the connection that "antisemitic maltreatment doesn't number unless it turns violent."

She said that connection is unacceptable and the authorities should contented directives to school boards, administrators and pedagogue connected however to grip politically delicate situations truthful that each pupil "can larn successful an situation escaped of hate."