Some Montreal-area parents are speaking out after their children were allegedly racially bullied at school and are accusing the school boards and the education ministry of doing nothing about it.
The children range in age from elementary to high school age but the stories are similar: they claim to have been victims of physical and verbal racial abuse at the hands of bullies and were suspended or accused of being trouble makers themselves.
Stanley Charles' 18-year-old son "Emmanuel" (names withheld to protect the children's identities), who is black, was subjected to what he calls an intrusive body search by a female assistant principal after being suspected of an "illegal transaction" following a fist bump with a black friend at a school belonging to the Commission scolaire des Affluents.
After refusing, "Emmanuel" was suspended on the spot.
Charles said the school admitted to him they had no policy on body searches or consequences of refusal. He said he's asked the education minister to investigate but has gotten no answer.
Charles said his son and his friend were picked on because they were black, adding that if every student was stopped for fist bumping or hand shaking at school, everyone would be searched.
Dad of "Emmanuel", Stanley Charles says even the school admitted they had no policy on body searches or consequences of refusing. Decided to speak out to have the Minister conduct an inquiry into such practices and better protect their kids. #CJAD pic.twitter.com/oLJpQYRcZj
— Shuyee Lee (@sleeCJAD) November 23, 2017
"Audrey", 16, was suspended after 12 years at Collège Charlemagne. She claims white girls at the school started bullying her and when she made a negative comment about one of them, she was kicked out while her alleged bullies were never punished or confronted.
Her father Eric Tran said the school never informed him about his daughter's situation and neither they nor the education ministry did anything to help her.
"Gabriel", 8, who is black, was suspended after defending himself against his bullies who he claims taunted him and his 11-year-old sister with comments such as, "You're dirty just like all Africans." His mother is now homeschooling him after getting nowhere with the Commission scolaire Marguerite-Bourgeoys.
Eric Tran, dad of "Audrey" says the school never told him what was going on with his daughter and alleged bullies and neither the school nor the ministry did anything to help. #CJAD pic.twitter.com/zdq0k6WMJ9
— Shuyee Lee (@sleeCJAD) November 23, 2017
Fo Niemi, director of the Center for Research-Action on Race Relations, said they've received over 20 requests for help in similar cases since the beginning of the year.
"What you've heard is basically a pattern of schools and school boards not applying the law on bullying properly, not protecting the children, not informing the parents, and the schools and school boards turning around, making these children of colour into problem-makers and taking all kinds of sanctions against them," said Niemi at a news conference.
The parents are calling for Quebec Education Minister Sébastien Proulx to do more to make sure bullying regulations are enforced and to better protect victims of racial bullying.
"Audrey" said it was important for her to come forward.
"I didn't have to speak up but after all the years I've endured, I've never spoken out about it, and so if there's a moment that I have to speak about it, I chose that this is the most important one," she told reporters.
The education minister has not yet responded to a request for comment from CJAD 800 News.
"Emmanuel", 18, (white jacket) was suspended after refusing to undergo a very intrusive body search by the female assistant principal. He and his friend -both black- were suspected of "an illegal transaction" after a fist bump at school. #CJAD pic.twitter.com/Z7r2Mgof36
— Shuyee Lee (@sleeCJAD) November 23, 2017