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National Post
28 minutes ago
- National Post
Toronto teacher fired for wearing blackface to school should get his job back, arbitrator rules
An arbitrator has ordered that a white Toronto teacher who was terminated after he showed up at school in blackface for Halloween and told people he was dressed as a zombie should be reinstated and compensated for all wages and benefits lost in the last 20 months. Article content Gorian Surlan showed remorse for his actions, according to an arbitrator, who substituted a nearly two-year suspension for the high school teacher's penalty. Surlan, who had been teaching for 19 years, came to work at Parkdale Collegiate Institute in black face makeup and black clothing on Oct. 29, 2021. Article content Article content He wore the costume to an assembly that morning dubbed 'Where Everybody Belongs' that was attended by about 250 Grade 9 students and their mentors. Three students approached their vice-principal about Surlan's costume, saying he was in blackface. One student showed her a photo of his costume. Two of them were visibly upset and one was crying, Norm Jesin, the arbitrator, wrote in a decision dated Aug. 14. Article content 'He was asked if he was aware of the controversy over Justin Trudeau appearing as Aladdin in blackface. He said he was but that he was not trying to depict any person. Rather he was attempting to portray a zombie.' Article content Article content Article content Surlan, now 63, grieved his termination, arguing he 'was unjustly discharged from his employment on November 15, 2021, contrary to the collective agreement between' the Ontario Secondary School Teachers' Federation and the Toronto District School Board. Article content Article content Born in Serbia, he witnessed many atrocities while working for the International Red Cross during the Bosnian war. Article content Those 'left a deep impact on him,' said the arbitrator. Article content 'He became a member of the Ontario College of Teachers and obtained qualifications in a number of disciplines including business studies, special education, librarianship, cooperative education and English as a second language,' Jesin said. Article content He took sabbaticals every five years, teaching in Nigeria and Vietnam, and had no previous discipline record before the blackface incident, said the arbitrator.
CBC
28 minutes ago
- CBC
5 Canadian soldiers suspended after Nazi salute video emerges
The Canadian Army is now dealing with another incident of alleged hateful conduct that involves Quebec-based soldiers caught on video allegedly partying while some people at the event delivered Nazi salutes. In a statement, Lt.-Gen. Mike Wright, the commander of the army, said the video was brought to his attention on Aug. 6, and an immediate internal investigation was launched "to determine the breadth and scope of the incident." Military police have also been notified, he added. Although the video shows several individuals, Wright said at least five of them have been identified as serving members of the Canadian Army. Those soldiers have been suspended from military duties pending an investigation by the unit. "One individual can be seen performing drill in front of the Royal 22e Régiment flag and then consuming a substance," Wright said in the written statement. "At one point in the video, other individuals perform the Nazi salute. Although I have been made aware that these events happened in 2023, these members remain subject to administrative and disciplinary action that may lead to their release." The statement, released by the Department of National Defence on Tuesday, was light on specifics and didn't say whether the accused soldiers were all regular or reserve force members, nor precisely how the video came to the army's attention. 4 charged in separate case Earlier this summer, a terrorism case emerged in Quebec where two serving soldiers, a former member and a civilian who is also a former cadet instructor, were accused in an extremist, anti-government plot that allegedly involved taking over a parcel of land. The men are accused of stockpiling an arsenal of highly restricted weapons and military equipment, including some of the latest night-vision gear. The department said none of the equipment came from its inventory. The RCMP in July charged Simon Angers-Audet, 24, Raphaël Lagacé, 25, and Marc-Aurèle Chabot, 24, with facilitating a terrorist activity, and other offences related to the illegal storage of firearms and possession of explosives and prohibited devices. A fourth man — Matthew Forbes, 33 — is accused of weapons offences. DND has acknowledged that Forbes and Chabot were active members of the military at the time of their arrest on July 8. In addition, two investigations, one internal and one by military police, are underway into a separate incident involving a now-defunct Facebook group where members of the Cameron Highlanders of Ottawa (Duke of Edinburgh's Own) allegedly posted hateful and inappropriate content. "Hateful conduct and extremism have no place in the Canadian Army. It hurts our ability to recruit the best of Canada, to maintain credibility to deliver on operations, and it erodes public trust in our institution," Wright said in his statement.
CBC
an hour ago
- CBC
Elizabeth May says she won't lead Green Party in next election
Green Party Leader Elizabeth May told supporters Tuesday that she won't be leading the party into the next election. May — who is currently the only Green MP — made the announcement in an email to party members which was shared with CBC news. She said she intends to stay on as an MP and leader pending the results of an upcoming leadership review. "My voice, as the sole Green MP in the House of Commons, is stronger as leader. I intend to grow our parliamentary caucus before stepping down," May said in her email. May has led the party through five federal elections dating back to 2008. She stepped down as leader following the 2019 vote and the party selected Anamie Paul to lead the party in the following election. After Paul's departure in the wake of the 2021 election, May returned to co-lead the party alongside Jonathan Pedneault. Pedneault took the lead as the face of the Green's national campaign this past spring, but failed to secure a seat. He resigned days after the election, leaving May as the sole party leader. In her email on Tuesday, May said the party's governing council will decide the best timing for a leadership vote, and that the party is determined to make it a "positive experience" — likely referring to Paul's exit following months of party infighting. "Succession planning in any political party is tricky, but our federal council is determined to learn from past mistakes and make the transition to new leadership a positive experience that builds the party," she wrote.
