Last Friday and earlier this week, we were horrified and disappointed that three of our schools in Newmarket were targeted for anti-Black, antisemitic and homophobic vandalism. These actions are unacceptable and will not be tolerated in any of our schools or workplaces.
We commend the staff at each school for taking swift action to contact the police, remove the hurtful graffiti and acknowledge the hurt and harm it caused by notifying their whole school communities and providing support to those that were affected. Our Inclusive School and Community Services (ISCS) team also notified community agencies and leaders that support the Jewish, Black and LGBTQ+ population in our region.
The ISCS team has also connected with all schools to raise awareness of these issues and to work with the community to address the hurt that has been caused and to prevent future recurrences. We know it's important that we do this work in conjunction with community partners and will continue our outreach to them.
We stand in solidarity with Jewish, Black and LGBTQ+ staff, students, families and communities. These actions are appalling; they also strengthen our resolve to continue taking action to ensure that learning and working environments are safe, welcoming and free from any form of discrimination or hate.
Allan Tam, Chair
Louise Sirisko, Director