Latest news with #BellHighSchool
CTV News
8 hours ago
- Politics
- CTV News
Ottawa high school principal apologizes for ‘unexpected and unapproved' comments in graduation speech
The sign for Bell High School in Ottawa on June 16, 2025. (Josh Marano/CTV News Ottawa) The Ottawa-Carleton District School Board says commencement ceremonies are not an 'appropriate forum' for discussions on issues that impact the community, after the valedictorian made a pro-Palestinian remark in her speech at Bell High School. The principal of the high school in Ottawa's west end apologized to parents and guardians for the 'unexpected and unapproved comments' made during the graduation ceremony last Thursday. The National Council of Canadian Muslims says the valedictorian called for peace for the people of Gaza during her speech. A video of the graduation speech posted on Instagram shows the valedictorian said after a land acknowledgment, 'as a commitment to truth and reconciliation, I must acknowledge colonial and genocidal atrocities today, including the massacre of more than 17,000 Palestinian children in Gaza.' In a letter to parents, Bell High School principal Jane Conrod said the content of the speech, 'which touched on deeply sensitive global events, was not part of the pre-approved speech.' 'I am writing to acknowledge and express my deepest apologies for the unexpected and unapproved comments made during the valedictorian speech at last night's commencement ceremony,' Conrod said. 'Despite the best efforts of staff to ensure that our commencement ceremony remained focused on celebrating the achievements of our graduates, an unfortunate incident did occur last night. A speech was given by a student that intentionally took focus away from the purpose of the event, celebrating the achievements of our graduating class.' Bell High School Students at Bell High School held a walkout Monday in protest of the principal's apology. (Josh Marano/CTV News Ottawa) 'We deeply regret that this occurred and are truly sorry for the harm that has been caused.' Some Bell High School students held a walkout Monday afternoon in support to the speech. A spokesperson for the Ottawa-Carleton District School Board tells CTV News Ottawa no students were suspended in relation to the graduation speech at Bell High School. 'As a district, our primary goal for our commencements is to create a joyous celebration of student achievement in a ceremony that welcomes many additional people who support and care about the students being recognized,' the OCDSB said in a statement Monday afternoon. 'We strive to provide an inclusive and memorable experience for all graduates, families, and staff. We work collaboratively with student speakers to prepare content that aligns with the celebratory spirit of the ceremony. Our schools provide appropriate forums within the school year to engage thoughtfully with a wide range of issues that impact our community. These settings are designed to facilitate respectful, safe and supportive discussions. We do not feel that commencement ceremonies provide the appropriate forum for such discussions.' CTV News Ottawa has not been able to contact the valedictorian for comment.
CTV News
11 hours ago
- Politics
- CTV News
Ottawa high school principal apologies for ‘unexpected and unapproved' comments in graduation speech
The Ottawa-Carleton District School Board says commencement ceremonies are not an 'appropriate forum' for discussions on issues that impact the community, after the valedictorian made a pro-Palestinian remark in her speech at Bell High School. The principal of the high school in Ottawa's west end apologized to parents and guardians for the 'unexpected and unapproved comments' made during the graduation ceremony last Thursday. The National Council of Canadian Muslims says the valedictorian called for peace for the people of Gaza during her speech. A video of the graduation speech posted on Instagram shows the valedictorian said after a land acknowledgment, 'as a commitment to truth and reconciliation, I must acknowledge colonial and genocidal atrocities today, including the massacre of more than 17,000 Palestinian children in Gaza.' In a letter to parents, Bell High School principal Jane Conrad said the content of the speech, 'which touched on deeply sensitive global events, was not part of the pre-approved speech.' 'I am writing to acknowledge and express my deepest apologies for the unexpected and unapproved comments made during the valedictorian speech at last night's commencement ceremony,' Conrad said. 'Despite the best efforts of staff to ensure that our commencement ceremony remained focused on celebrating the achievements of our graduates, an unfortunate incident did occur last night. A speech was given by a student that intentionally took focus away from the purpose of the event, celebrating the achievements of our graduating class.' 'We deeply regret that this occurred and are truly sorry for the harm that has been caused.' A spokesperson for the Ottawa-Carleton District School Board tells CTV News Ottawa no students were suspended in relation to the graduation speech at Bell High School. 'As a district, our primary goal for our commencements is to create a joyous celebration of student achievement in a ceremony that welcomes many additional people who support and care about the students being recognized,' the OCDSB said in a statement Monday afternoon. 'We strive to provide an inclusive and memorable experience for all graduates, families, and staff. We work collaboratively with student speakers to prepare content that aligns with the celebratory spirit of the ceremony. Our schools provide appropriate forums within the school year to engage thoughtfully with a wide range of issues that impact our community. These settings are designed to facilitate respectful, safe and supportive discussions. We do not feel that commencement ceremonies provide the appropriate forum for such discussions.' CTV News Ottawa has not been able to contact the valedictorian for comment.
15 hours ago
- Politics
Valedictorian told to stay home after making pro-Palestinian remarks in grad speech
The valedictorian at a west Ottawa high school says she's been told not to come to school Monday after she made pro-Palestinian remarks during a speech at her commencement ceremony. Elizabeth Yao largely focused on highlights from the past four years at Bell High School during her speech on Thursday, including a memorable waffle fundraiser and the days spent dozing off while reading Shakespeare. Her comments on the war in Gaza came at the end, after a land acknowledgement. As a commitment to truth and reconciliation, I must acknowledge colonial and genocidal atrocities today, including the massacre of more than 17,000 Palestinian children in Gaza, Yao said, breaking off as the crowd cheered. The next day, Yao said she received a call from her principal, who said her statements had caused harm and told her she shouldn't come to school on Monday. That decision is being criticized by some as going against Ottawa-Carleton District School Board (OCDSB) policy, and Yao said she stands by her speech. I believe that it was the right thing to do because it's an issue that deeply affects my community, she said. 'OCDSB likes to talk about the fact that students should be engaged in the community and also have basic understanding of empathy, be resilient and brave,' Yao remarked, saying that's what she was trying to do. Photo: (Courtesy of Elizabeth Yao) 'Took focus away' from graduation, says board Since the Israel-Hamas war began in October 2023, more than 50,000 children have been reportedly killed or injured in Gaza (new window) , according to UNICEF. In an email sent to parents after the commencement ceremony, which Yao provided to CBC, her principal wrote that her speech intentionally took focus away from the purpose of the event, celebrating the achievement of our graduating class. But the escalating war in Gaza was an ever-present concern for her class through their high school years, Yao said, noting that her school has a large Arab and Muslim population. I have seen it affect the students around me, as they have gone on walkouts and protests in the past in order to make the Canadian government aware of what is going on, she said. School board trustee Lyra Evans told CBC she's been fielding a lot of emails, texts and calls, but none of them were unhappy with Yao's comments. [They] have been asking how on earth or why on earth are we suspending valedictorians and potentially putting their future in jeopardy with three weeks left to go in school, Evans said. Hanna Abdalla, Yao's friend and fellow graduate, said she didn't hear from anyone who was upset with Yao's speech. I don't think it was fair to [be] putting our valedictorian on blast, said Abdalla. What about the harm, the daily harm, that Palestinian students back in Palestine go through every day? CBC asked for an interview with the school's principal, but the OCDSB said they would not be commenting. Lyra Evans said she's concerned this decision could have broader consequences on the school board's relationship with the Palestinian community in Ottawa. (Kate Porter/CBC) Photo: (Kate Porter/CBC) 'Anti-Palestinian erasure' After her situation drew so much attention, Yao was put in touch with the National Council of Canadian Muslims (NCCM), a non-profit advocacy and lobby group. Nusaiab Al-Azem, director of legal affairs for the NCCM, told CBC she believes the school violated OCDSB policies by both telling Yao not to come to school without officially suspending her and for punishing her for pro-Palestinian statements. To imply that what [Yao] said was harmful is itself a form of anti-Palestinian erasure and anti-Palestinian racism, which the school board has a specific policy against, she said. Evans agreed that Yao did not break any rules. She cited the OCDSB's own guidelines, which say slogans or symbols that signal solidarity, such as 'Free Palestine' etc. are permitted so long as they don't violate the code of conduct. The school board should revoke the suspension, ensure no mark is made on Yao's Ontario student record, and issue an apology to the broader Palestinian community, Evans said. In the meantime, Yao still plans to go back to school on Monday. I'm a little angry, maybe, at the unfortunate situation, especially since I had connected the situation to the values of the school board and what I had learned throughout my four years of being at the school, she said. I was applying that to being an advocate and making sure that those who are oppressed have a voice in our society. Gabrielle Huston (new window) · CBC News
Yahoo
21 hours ago
- Politics
- Yahoo
Valedictorian told to stay home after making pro-Palestinian remarks in grad speech
The valedictorian at a west Ottawa high school says she's been told not to come to school Monday after she made pro-Palestinian remarks during a speech at her commencement ceremony. Elizabeth Yao largely focused on highlights from the past four years at Bell High School during her speech on Thursday, including a memorable waffle fundraiser and the days spent dozing off while reading Shakespeare. Her comments on the war in Gaza came at the end, after a land acknowledgement. "As a commitment to truth and reconciliation, I must acknowledge colonial and genocidal atrocities today, including the massacre of more than 17,000 Palestinian children in Gaza," Yao said, breaking off as the crowd cheered. The next day, Yao said she received a call from her principal, who said her statements had "caused harm" and told her she shouldn't come to school on Monday. That decision is being criticized by some as going against Ottawa-Carleton District School Board (OCDSB) policy, and Yao said she stands by her speech. "I believe that it was the right thing to do because it's an issue that deeply affects my community," she said. 'Took focus away' from graduation, says board Since the Israel-Hamas war began in October 2023, more than 50,000 children have been reportedly killed or injured in Gaza, according to UNICEF. In an email sent to parents after the commencement ceremony, which Yao provided to CBC, her principal wrote that her speech "intentionally took focus away from the purpose of the event, celebrating the achievement of our graduating class." But the escalating war in Gaza was an ever-present concern for her class through their high school years, Yao said, noting that her school has a large Arab and Muslim population. "I have seen it affect the students around me, as they have gone on walkouts and protests in the past in order to make the Canadian government aware of what is going on," she said. School board trustee Lyra Evans told CBC she's been fielding a lot of emails, texts and calls, but none of them were unhappy with Yao's comments. "[They] have been asking how on earth or why on earth are we suspending valedictorians and potentially putting their future in jeopardy with three weeks left to go in school," Evans said. Hanna Abdalla, Yao's friend and fellow graduate, said she didn't hear from anyone who was upset with Yao's speech. "I don't think it was fair to [be] putting our valedictorian on blast," said Abdalla. "What about the harm, the daily harm, that Palestinian students back in Palestine go through every day?" CBC asked for an interview with the school's principal, but the OCDSB said they would not be commenting. 'Anti-Palestinian erasure' After her situation drew so much attention, Yao was put in touch with the National Council of Canadian Muslims (NCCM), a non-profit advocacy and lobby group. Nusaiab Al-Azem, director of legal affairs for the NCCM, told CBC she believes the school violated OCDSB policies by both telling Yao not to come to school without officially suspending her and for punishing her for pro-Palestinian statements. "To imply that what [Yao] said was harmful is itself a form of anti-Palestinian erasure and anti-Palestinian racism, which the school board has a specific policy against," she said. Evans agreed that Yao did not break any rules. She cited the OCDSB's own guidelines, which say "slogans or symbols that signal solidarity, such as 'Free Palestine' etc. are permitted so long as they don't violate the code of conduct." The school board should revoke the suspension, ensure no mark is made on Yao's Ontario student record, and issue an apology to the broader Palestinian community, Evans said. In the meantime, Yao still plans to go back to school on Monday. "I'm a little angry, maybe, at the unfortunate situation, especially since I had connected the situation to the values of the school board and what I had learned throughout my four years of being at the school," she said. "I was applying that to being an advocate and making sure that those who are oppressed have a voice in our society."
CBC
a day ago
- Politics
- CBC
Valedictorian told to stay home after making pro-Palestinian remarks in grad speech
Social Sharing The valedictorian at a west Ottawa high school says she's been told not to come to school Monday after she made pro-Palestinian remarks during a speech at her commencement ceremony. Elizabeth Yao largely focused on highlights from the past four years at Bell High School during her speech on Thursday, including a memorable waffle fundraiser and the days spent dozing off while reading Shakespeare. Her comments on the war in Gaza came at the end, after a land acknowledgement. "As a commitment to truth and reconciliation, I must acknowledge colonial and genocidal atrocities today, including the massacre of more than 17,000 Palestinian children in Gaza," Yao said, breaking off as the crowd cheered. The next day, Yao said she received a call from her principal, who said her statements had "caused harm" and told her she shouldn't come to school on Monday. That decision is being criticized by some as going against Ottawa-Carleton District School Board (OCDSB) policy, and Yao said she stands by her speech. "I believe that it was the right thing to do because it's an issue that deeply affects my community," she said. 'Took focus away' from graduation, says board Since the Israel-Hamas war began in October 2023, more than 50,000 children have been reportedly killed or injured in Gaza, according to UNICEF. In an email sent to parents after the commencement ceremony, which Yao provided to CBC, her principal wrote that her speech "intentionally took focus away from the purpose of the event, celebrating the achievement of our graduating class." But the escalating war in Gaza was an ever-present concern for her class through their high school years, Yao said, noting that her school has a large Arab and Muslim population. "I have seen it affect the students around me, as they have gone on walkouts and protests in the past in order to make the Canadian government aware of what is going on," she said. School board trustee Lyra Evans told CBC she's been fielding a lot of emails, texts and calls, but none of them were unhappy with Yao's comments. "[They] have been asking how on earth or why on earth are we suspending valedictorians and potentially putting their future in jeopardy with three weeks left to go in school," Evans said. Hanna Abdalla, Yao's friend and fellow graduate, said she didn't hear from anyone who was upset with Yao's speech. "I don't think it was fair to [be] putting our valedictorian on blast," said Abdalla. "What about the harm, the daily harm, that Palestinian students back in Palestine go through every day?" CBC asked for an interview with the school's principal, but the OCDSB said they would not be commenting. 'Anti-Palestinian erasure' After her situation drew so much attention, Yao was put in touch with the National Council of Canadian Muslims (NCCM), a non-profit advocacy and lobby group. Nusaiab Al-Azem, director of legal affairs for the NCCM, told CBC she believes the school violated OCDSB policies by both telling Yao not to come to school without officially suspending her and for punishing her for pro-Palestinian statements. "To imply that what [Yao] said was harmful is itself a form of anti-Palestinian erasure and anti-Palestinian racism, which the school board has a specific policy against," she said. Evans agreed that Yao did not break any rules. She cited the OCDSB's own guidelines, which say "slogans or symbols that signal solidarity, such as 'Free Palestine' etc. are permitted so long as they don't violate the code of conduct." The school board should revoke the suspension, ensure no mark is made on Yao's Ontario student record, and issue an apology to the broader Palestinian community, Evans said. In the meantime, Yao still plans to go back to school on Monday. "I'm a little angry, maybe, at the unfortunate situation, especially since I had connected the situation to the values of the school board and what I had learned throughout my four years of being at the school," she said. "I was applying that to being an advocate and making sure that those who are oppressed have a voice in our society."
