Complainant Kevin Morrison, who is running in a trustee byelection next week, says the Toronto Catholic District School Board’s decision to remove music from the morning anthem is “prejudicial and discriminatory.” He wants the months-old policy scrapped, urging trustees to eschew such “frivolous issues” for the more serious business of running a school board.
“I don’t see why it’s fair that it should be taken away from my children or our students,” Mr. Morrison said Wednesday.
A battle over whether Toronto students can be forced to sing O Canada a cappella has escalated to the Human Rights Tribunal of Ontario.
Complainant Kevin Morrison, who is running in a trustee byelection next week, says the Toronto Catholic District School Board’s decision to remove music from the morning anthem is “prejudicial and discriminatory.” He wants the months-old policy scrapped, urging trustees to eschew such “frivolous issues” for the more serious business of running a school board.
“I don’t see why it’s fair that it should be taken away from my children or our students,” Mr. Morrison said Wednesday.
In his filings with the tribunal, Mr. Morrison alleges the board overstepped its authority, failed to conduct research into the policy’s efficacy, neglected to properly consult the public and made a decision that was “prejudicial and discriminatory on the grounds that other local school boards do not have a similar policy in place.”
Calling the situation “quite bizarre,” Ms. Kennedy — who defeated Mr. Morrison two years ago in the Ward 11 trustee election — said the complaint might have been politically motivated.
“I’m just flabbergasted,” she said. “I don’t understand it at all.”
Ms. Kennedy contends the a cappella policy has been working, citing positive feedback from teachers and principals on the number of students singing each morning. The public had ample time to weigh in, she added, particularly amid heightened media scrutiny before the vote this spring.
Mr. Morrison, who is active on a local parents’ committee, says otherwise.
“I’ve been to about five school events this school year, and nobody’s singing,” he said. “In fact, I would argue that it’s worse.”
The Human Rights Tribunal of Ontario declined to comment on the merits of Mr. Morrison’s case, citing a need to remain impartial, and referred questions to the Ontario Human Rights Commission.
“On the face of it, I don’t see a ground under the code,” commission spokeswoman Afroze Edwards said, noting typical grounds for discrimination include areas such as race, gender or age. “He would have to make his case in putting forward why it’s a human-rights [issue], and it would be up to the tribunal to consider it and make a decision.”
Original Article
Source: national post
Author: Megan O'Toole
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