HWDSB trustee racism scandal: Everything you need to know about Hamilton public school board’s racism probe

A few damning tweets in August forced the Hamilton-Wentworth District School Board to confront then-alleged racist and oppressive behaviour and language by some of its trustees.

Months later, in February, a third-party investigation and report substantiated evidence of racism among some trustees. The board says it will do better. But that's cold comfort to a coalition of advocates for students, including the former student trustee who brought the issues to light. The group is now calling for the immediate removal of four trustees.

Here is everything you need to know about what transpired in the lead-up to the report and the fallout in the wake of it:

Aug. 1: Ahona Mehdi, an HWDSB student trustee whose 2019-20 term was at an end, posts a Twitter thread slamming the board and calling out racism. The HWDSB is a disgustingly racist (and) oppressive institution that serves the interest, success (and) well-being of white, straight, able-bodied, cisgender staff (and) students," she tweeted. Mehdi went on to allege a white trustee used the N-word in reference to Serena Williams and a white trustee claimed there is too much Black leadership" in the school board. She called her experience as a student trustee the most patronizing experience of my life."

That evening, the board announces it is launching a third-party investigation into Mehdi's allegations.

Aug. 17: The board announces lawyer Arleen Huggins, a partner at Koskie Minsky LLP in Toronto, will head the third-party investigation.

Jan. 11: Hamilton Community News reveals that the board quietly tossed out a complaint in November made by trustee Carole Paikin Miller against three of her colleagues: Cam Galindo, Maria Felix Miller and Paul Tut. Paikin Miller argued the trio violated the board's code of conduct by attending Mehdi's August news conference - a move that Paikin Miller said showed they'd taken a position on Mehdi's allegations. Trustees held a closed-door meeting on Nov. 26 following an internal investigation into the complaint - the details of which were not shared publicly - and all 11 unanimously agreed there was no violation. Tut dismissed the complaint as frivolous and meritless."

Jan. 21: Mehdi is named a winner of the 2020 Lincoln M. Alexander Award, a provincial honour that recognizes youth for anti-racism and equity work in their community.

Feb. 3: The months-long independent investigation is released - though all names are redacted. It reveals investigators found evidence of racism among the trustees at the Hamilton-Wentworth District School Board. The investigation backed up some of Mehdi's allegations, including evidence of efforts to silence her voice." It found that two trustees at a June 2020 board meeting about the now-cancelled police liaison program ought to have known their comments were not only insensitive but expressions of anti-Black racism" when they were heard saying comments to the effect ... of all lives mattered."

The board of trustees voted the previous night to adopt all 12 recommendations from the 67-page report but also voted to not pursue sanctions against any trustees, and to redact names.

Dawn Danko, board chair, issues a formal apology to Mehdi.

Feb. 4: Hamilton Students for Justice, a group of advocates for students, which includes Mehdi, calls for the four trustees at the centre of the probe - whom Mehdi names as Kathy Archer, Becky Buck, Alex Johnstone and Carole Paikin Miller - to be impeached" by the Ministry of Education. That day, a ministry spokesperson says they found Mehdi's allegations deeply disturbing," and that the ministry would be closely monitoring" the board's next steps.

Johnstone apologizes and says she now recognizes how the absence of an equity-informed understanding of board policy and governance created biases and systemic barriers."

Feb. 8: The Ministry of Education clarifies it cannot remove trustees nor impose sanctions for code of conduct violations. Of note: the report from the investigator only states she has concluded that the allegations made by the complainant could, if proven, constitute a violation of the code of conduct and in some respects a potential violation of the code and any other relevant legislation."

Meanwhile, questions are raised about why three of the four trustees at the centre of the probe did not recuse themselves from a vote on issuing sanctions to themselves and keeping the report anonymous. Just Johnstone declared a conflict of interest. Danko tells The Spec the board met its legal obligations" and it's ultimately up to individual members to recuse themselves as they deem appropriate."

That evening, board vice-chair Cam Galindo puts forward a motion to reconsider the board's original decision to issue no sanctions to trustees at the centre of the report. Archer is not present. Johnstone and Buck declare conflicts of interest and recuse themselves but Paikin Miller does not. The motion passes unanimously.

Feb. 9: Questions remain about what sanctions - if any - the trustees could face and how much of the sanctions decision-making process will be public. Danko tells The Spec: we will provide an update if trustees vote in favour of additional sanctions or disciplinary action in response to the report."

It also remains unclear if the trustees in question could vote on yet another decision relating to possible sanctioning.

Katrina Clarke is a Hamilton-based reporter at The Spectator. Reach her via email: katrinaclarke@thespec.com