Toronto (August 29, 2019) – While Friends of Simon Wiesenthal Center (FSWC) is pleased that Your Ward News publisher LeRoy St. Germaine was sentenced today for promoting hate, the organization is disappointed the sentence involves house arrest instead of jail.  

This decision comes one week after the publication’s editor, James Sears, received a one-year jail sentence. The two were found guilty in January of willfully promoting hatred against women and Jewish people.

“While the court has recognized St. Germaine’s wrongdoing, it is unfortunate that a jail sentence has not been handed in this case despite St. Germaine’s involvement in spreading hate speech that targeted women and the Jewish community,” said FSWC President and CEO Avi Benlolo. “We are further disappointed that despite his one-year prison sentence, James Sears has been released on bail and given the opportunity to appeal his case."

St. Germaine is reportedly also planning to appeal the decision against him. The Your Ward News website notes the site has been “temporarily taken down” as one of Sears’ bail conditions. However, St. Germaine wrote: “I’m confident we’re both going to win our appeals. When that happens, the website comes back online and we get a brand new trial.”

“We are confident that justice will prevail in both cases and St. Germaine and Sears will serve their maximum sentences,” said Benlolo.

Over the last three years, FSWC launched private police complaints, met with hate crime investigators and filed reports regarding Your Ward News with the help of Lawyers4Wiesenthal members. Most recently, Benlolo wrote a victim impact statement for the trial and attended some of the sessions to support and encourage the Crown and police.