Toronto teacher fired for wearing blackface costume should be reinstated: arbitrator
In a decision last week, arbitrator Norm Jesin wrote that the teacher had gone to Parkdale Collegiate Institute in October 2021 after dressing in black clothes, wearing a black face mask and painting his face black to present 'a scary persona, like that of a zombie' for Halloween.
The decision says multiple students were upset by the teacher's blackface after he removed the black mask while teaching and later attended a school assembly.
It says the Toronto District School Board fired the teacher after an investigation, but the Ontario Secondary School Teachers' Federation called it 'an excessive response' given the teacher did not intend to cause harm and had immediately apologized.
Jesin wrote in his decision that the teacher took courses on anti-Black racism and expressed remorse for his actions before he was restored to 'good standing' by the Ontario College of Teachers on Oct. 1, 2023, so he should be reinstated with no loss of seniority and compensated for lost wages since that date.
The Canadian Press has reached out to the TDSB and the OSSTF for comment.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Aug. 20, 2025.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Winnipeg Free Press
an hour ago
- Winnipeg Free Press
Vigil to take place tonight for 8-year-old Toronto boy killed by stray bullet
TORONTO – A candlelight vigil will be held this evening for an eight-year-old Toronto boy killed by a stray bullet while he was in bed with his family last weekend. JahVai Roy, who has been described by friends and family as a curious boy and a fearless anti-bullying advocate, was killed in his North York home early Saturday morning. Toronto police said a stray bullet from a shooting outside entered the residence at around 12:30 a.m. Bullets also entered two other units, but no one else was injured. The vigil is set to take place at 5 p.m. near the apartment building where JahVai died, with several city officials, police inspectors and hundreds of community members expected to attend. A social media post promoting the vigil also asks attendees to wear blue, described as JahVai's favourite colour. The boy was laid to rest yesterday at a funeral held on Wikwemikong First Nation on Manitoulin Island. Marcell Wilson, a friend of the family, described JahVai as a 'genuinely good, happy, compassionate, kind, curious child,' who always made sure to look after his mom and his two siblings. 'He was the type of boy that wanted to climb a tree, or if there was a bird or something, he'd want to pick it up and touch it,' Wilson said in an interview Tuesday. 'He was fearless.' A GoFundMe page launched in response to the boy's death has also raised almost $75,000 to help the family with funeral expenses, relocation costs and trauma counselling. Coun. Frances Nunziata, who represents the neighbourhood where JahVai was killed, said she has been in touch with the family several times, and will be at the vigil alongside Toronto Mayor Olivia Chow. 'It's just crazy what's happening,' Nunziata said earlier this week. 'We're not even safe in our own homes.' Community advocates have said they hope the deadly shooting acts as a wake-up call to spark community and government action against gun violence. 'We don't want to see another JahVai Roy, ever. So let this be the last. And the only way this can be the last is that we all work together,' Wilson said. A rally against gun violence is also expected to take place tomorrow in front of Toronto City Hall. This report by The Canadian Press was first published Aug. 21, 2025.
Winnipeg Free Press
3 hours ago
- Winnipeg Free Press
Police looking for suspects in $220,000 meat heist in Windsor, Ont.
Police are investigating after a semi truck with over $220,000 worth of meat was stolen in Windsor earlier this month. Windsor police say the parked truck containing 530 boxes of boneless beef chuck roast was stolen around 6:30 p.m. on Aug. 2 near the Windsor International Airport. Investigators say two men in a Jeep pulled into the parking lot in the area of Walker Road and Cabana Road East before breaking into the truck and driving away with the trailer. Police believe the meat heist suspects then drove the truck along Highway 401. The suspects remain outstanding and their identities are currently not known. Police are asking anyone with information or dash camera footage to contact them. This report by The Canadian Press was first published Aug. 21, 2025.
Winnipeg Free Press
4 hours ago
- Winnipeg Free Press
Man found not criminally responsible for knife attack on pastor must stay in hospital
WINNIPEG – A man who tried to stab a Catholic pastor in the middle of a Sunday religious service last winter in Winnipeg will have to stay in a hospital psychiatric unit and abstain from alcohol and other intoxicants. Pawel Olownia was found not criminally responsible for the Feb. 9 incident at Holy Ghost Parish, which saw him unsuccessfully attempt to attack a pastor with a knife bearing a 10-centimetre blade. Olownia, who was 50 at the time, underwent a psychiatric assessment that found he suffered from delusions he was being persecuted by authorities. A provincial court judge ruled he was not criminally responsible on charges including assault with a weapon and sent the case to the Criminal Code Review Board. The board has placed several conditions on Olownia, including that he reside in a psychiatric ward, abstain from intoxicants and not attend a Catholic church or contact the victim. The board disposition, dated July 30, also bans Olownia from possessing any weapons, and says he may be granted passes from the hospital on the recommendation of his treatment team. The Criminal Code Review Board annually reviews the conditions placed on people found not criminally responsible and can make adjustments based on factors such as public safety and the reintergration of the individual into society. This report by The Canadian Press was first published Aug. 21, 2025
