Hamilton teacher says school board failed to protect them from homophobic, transphobic parent complaints over gender-inclusive video

Days before the end of the school year, a Hamilton teacher stopped teaching their Grade 3 remote classroom.

The decision - first temporary, then permanent - was made by the Hamilton-Wentworth District School Board (HWDSB) and teacher Mara Fabrizio after parents of a student lodged a complaint against the teacher related to a video that was screened in the Hillcrest Elementary School class.

The queer and nonbinary teacher ultimately told the board they would not return while the student's parents were able to monitor the class and access them through email. Fabrizio was reassigned to fill in for other absent teachers. Then, they went on mental-health leave as a result.

I lost the ability to continue teaching my own class," said Fabrizio, who had taught the students since November.

During Pride month in June, Fabrizio showed their class a movie that explores the lives of five gender-creative kids" navigating the world, including dealing with bullies. One scene of Beauty," viewed by The Spectator, includes a talking head of a transgender student describing a bullying incident in which another student tried to pull their pants down.

The movie, Fabrizio said, centres on the voices of people who have been historically silenced or oppressed" - something they strive to do in their teaching.

It's also on a National Film Board list for educators called Sexual Orientation and Gender Identity: Expanding Our Understanding (Ages 7-12)" and is available to stream online for free.

The parents of a student in the class felt the video was inappropriate and contacted the principal. The parents are not being named in order to protect the child's identity.

The student's mother also wrote an email to other parents with the subject line: Do you know what's happening in your child's class?"

In addition to her concerns about the film, she accused Fabrizio of kicking kids out of the virtual classroom and refusing to let them go to the bathroom, which Fabrizio denies.

Now recently has been bringing her gender identity into the class. Showing videos of sexual assault, telling my son the Easter Bunny was transgender and more," the parent wrote to other parents, repeatedly misgendering the teacher.

Fabrizio said it was actually a student who pointed out that a peer's Easter Bunny stuffed animal shared the transgender flag's colours - blue, pink and white.

In the email, the parent also admitted to recording video of the class, which, per HWDSB virtual-classroom guidelines, is not allowed and infringes on student and staff privacy.

In addition, parents or other family members are not allowed to sit in" on a class.

Then, the parents took the discussion to Facebook, posting in a public group.

In a now-deleted Facebook post, the father described the bullying scene as sexual abuse" and said his child was far too young" to be exposed.

The mother wrote in the comments: This isn't a lesson on how to keep yourself safe. It was sexual assault on a transgender kid. Something that they put rated R' on in movies is turned into cartoons and glorified to kids."

The post went on, using vulgar language to accuse the teacher of making her feel uncomfortable: We don't need to know who you f--- for us to be supportive of the community."

In the comments, the mother repeatedly used incorrect pronouns when referring to the teacher. When Fabrizio became aware of the thread, they decided to respond to defend themselves.

Please desist from publicly posting about my professional practice. Use the appropriate channels," they wrote. P.S. My pronouns are they/them."

In the Facebook thread, the mother identified Fabrizio in a comment: This is the teacher in question," she wrote, adding a laughing emoji.

In a message to The Spectator, the mother said her comments had nothing to do with gender identity."

It was talking about what is or what is not acceptable to be teaching children at a young grade level," she wrote.

Three police officers showed up at Fabrizio's house at the end of June to give them warnings" about posting publicly about the student's parents on social media.

(Police) said they were there because of some complaints made about me to the school board and on social media," Fabrizio said. (Police) said I should be careful not to post things that would identify the person who made those complaints because it could affect their child's privacy."

Fabrizio informed police that nowhere did they post any information about the family.

But the main problem for Fabrizio is in the way the board handled the situation.

The principal continued speaking and communicating back and forth with these parents" and let them make transphobic and homophobic complaints," including claiming Fabrizio was pushing the gay agenda" and grooming children," Fabrizio alleged. The principal thanked the parents for their concerns, and did not shut it down," Fabrizio said.

Fabrizio filed a human rights claim with the board, and has since been told that reports have been investigated and are completed."

I have no information about what they concluded about those incident reports," Fabrizio said. In the past, completed incident report investigations have been shared with me by principals. Not this time."

Fabrizio said the board's approach reflects systemic transphobia and homophobia."

Their handling of the situation ... has continually been just so in opposition to this equity and well-being policy," they said.

The board's equity action plan applies anti-oppression, critical social justice and human rights perspectives with a goal to intentionally embed the core principles of human rights and equity at the system, school and classroom levels."

While the board would not offer details on the incident, it said it is committed to fostering an inclusive working environment for all staff."

As this is an employee matter and related to student conduct, we are unable to share further detail," superintendent of student achievement Colin Pinkney said in an email.

The board says students have a right to learn - and educators a responsibility to teach - acceptance and inclusion" throughout the school year.

An educator's professional judgment is also used when determining if material is age appropriate,"spokesperson Shawn McKillop said in an email.

Fabrizio said they were attacked in doing their job, and the board failed to protect them in order to placate" parents.

I wasn't safe from transphobic and homophobic harassment and defamation from a parent," they said. (The board's) safety plan was never to remove the threat to me. It was for me to remove myself."

Fabrizio, a long-term-occasional teacher who has worked in several Hamilton schools, said Hillcrest is very, very behind in understanding how folks from non-white, non-heterosexual, and non-cisgender backgrounds and identities experience discrimination and harassment."

They decided to share their story publicly as a way of advocating for gender-diverse staff and students of all ages.

We have to assume that in our classrooms, there are trans students, there are gay students, there are lesbian students, there are questioning students," they said. We have students of varying genders and varying personalities who know very young."

Fabrizio said they have taken the matter to the Ontario Human Rights Tribunal.

I am not interested in trying to change things from the inside anymore," they said.

Kate McCullough is an education reporter at The Spectator. kmccullough@thespec.com