Hamilton public school board investigating 'racial slurs' and 'disturbing images' in online class
HWDSB spokesperson says it was likely an isolated incident and is reporting it to the police
Hamilton's public school board is investigating a racist incident that took place in a remote class at an elementary school.
In a letter to families on Thursday, Collegiate Elementary School apologized after someone entered the online class that day, "used anti-Black racial slurs and other inappropriate language, and shared disturbing and graphic images."
"We are sorry and deeply disturbed that this occurred. This is unacceptable. Online harassment is not tolerated in our schools or communities and we will be reporting this incident to the police," read the letter.
"Social workers will be available as needed to support students affected by this incident."
Hamilton-Wentworth District School Board (HWDSB) spokesperson Shawn McKillop told CBC Hamilton on Friday it's unclear if the person who entered the classroom is affiliated with the board or if they're a random person.
"We believe this incident is isolated," he said.
He added the school principal, Lisa Barzetti, was unable to do an interview because she is supporting families who may have questions.
The school board's letter said HWDSB is taking steps to address what happened and will discuss online safety, appropriate behaviour and accountability with staff and students.
Hamilton-Wentworth Elementary Teachers' Local union did not immediately respond to request for comment and Hamilton police said a police report hasn't been filed.
Remote learning, which started on Jan. 5, has led to some issues in the past.
Some transgender and queer students were previously "outed" in front of their peers in 2020 after the legal names of some students appeared on the Microsoft Teams platform during classes, even though some students use different names now.
HWDSB has also been trying to address bullying and racism in its schools as students have raised concerns about both issues.
For more stories about the experiences of Black Canadians — from anti-Black racism to success stories within the Black community — check out Being Black in Canada, a CBC project Black Canadians can be proud of. You can read more stories here.
