The Toronto Catholic District School Board says it has placed two Toronto high school teachers on leave following allegations they exchanged racist messages using a school social media page.
Advocacy group Parents of Black Children says messages between the two James Cardinal McGuigan Catholic High School teachers were found on a student athletics Instagram account and included a racist slur and an anti-Black meme.
The group accused school officials of not taking immediate action after a student who had access to the Instagram account screenshotted the exchange and notified the school’s principal.
The school board says it acted swiftly in placing the teachers on leave, and that support is available for students and staff who may be impacted.
Parents of Black Children is calling for the Ontario College of Teachers to investigate the incident, as well as protection against retaliation for students who speak out against racism.
The school board says it has taken all possible actions to address the incident and that racism and discrimination are unacceptable and inconsistent with teaching standards.