Investigation launched into racism allegations at Hamilton’s public school board
An independent review has been launched into allegations of racism among trustees in the city's public school board.
The Hamilton-Wentworth District School Board (HWDSB) announced in a statement Monday that lawyer Arleen Huggins, a partner at Koskie Minsky LLP in Toronto, will head a third-party investigation into allegations made by a student trustee earlier this month.
Ahona Mehdi, a recent graduate of Westmount Secondary School, posted a litany of allegations in an Aug. 1 Twitter thread concerning racist incidents she said she witnessed or was subjected to while serving as a HWDSB student trustee.
Mehdi, whose year-long term as trustee ended July 31, said she witnessed white trustees use the N-word in reference to Serena Williams" and claim that there is too much Black leadership'" in the board.
Mehdi also alleged another trustee spoke about how Muslims and Arabs were evil, anti-Semitic and violent."
In all honesty, it was the most patronizing experience of my life," Mehdi wrote in the thread. I'm beyond grateful to no longer serve as the board's token for student voice (and) diversity."
Just hours after Mehdi went public, Alex Johnstone, chair of the HWDSB, released a late-night statement committing to take action that builds a culture of equity and inclusion" within the board.
Education Minister Stephen Lecce later called Mehdi's allegations deeply disturbing."
The independent review, which commenced Monday, will be a transparent process that will include discussions will all trustees and relevant senior management" of the HWDSB, the board said in its statement.
Huggins is the former president of the Canadian Association of Black Lawyers and author of a damning report released in June that found the Peel District School Board unwilling and incapable of addressing anti-Black racism in its schools. The report led to the board's director of education being fired.
The board said in its statement it will keep the community updated" throughout the investigation, the findings of which will be openly reviewed at a later board meeting. The written report will also be made public.
Sebastian Bron is a Hamilton-based reporter at The Spectator. Reach him via email: sbron@thespec.com