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Toronto (September 20, 2024) – Friends of Simon Wiesenthal Center (FSWC) is calling for a thorough investigation by the Toronto District School Board (TDSB) and for school staff to be held accountable after students participating in a downtown field trip ended up in an anti-Israel demonstration.

On Wednesday, students from several TDSB schools attended the Grassy Narrows River Run, a community event held at Grange Park in Toronto to raise awareness about the impact of mercury poisoning on the Grassy Narrows First Nation community. A letter sent to parents from the schools called the field trip “an educational opportunity for our students to learn about Indigenous activism, environmental justice and human rights” and said “students will not be participating in the rally itself; instead they will observe and learn from the presentations and discussions.”

Yet, that evening, a video surfaced showing students walking in a rally as demonstrators are heard chanting “From Turtle Island to Palestine, occupation is a crime.”

FSWC was immediately in communication with TDSB leadership, expressing outrage over this egregious violation of parental trust and the harm caused to students.

In a statement issued yesterday, the TDSB said it “was not aware that students would engage with any issues outside of the main focus of the River Run” and apologized “for the harm that some students may have experienced as a result.” The school board also clarified that “students should not be participating in organized protests as part of a field trip” and it will be “reviewing its field trip procedures to provide guidance that upholds the safety and well-being of students.”

“Indeed, students should learn about Indigenous issues, but what they should not be doing is unknowingly participating in a protest where demonstrators spew hateful chants,” said Jaime Kirzner-Roberts, FSWC Senior Director of Policy and Advocacy. “TDSB’s failure to ensure the safety and well-being of students is completely unacceptable. The school board must perform a thorough investigation to determine any wrongdoing leading up to the field trip, and must ensure school staff members who allowed students to participate in the rally are held accountable for their irresponsibility and utter violation of parental trust. We also expect the TDSB to be transparent about what concrete actions it will take to ensure all future field trips are properly vetted and that students are not put in a similar situation again.”

In response to the incident, Ontario Minister of Education Jill Dunlop was unequivocal in her denunciation, stating, “I am deeply disappointed by yesterday’s events. Compromising the security and safety of students is unacceptable. I expect TDSB to conduct a thorough review of the situation and ensure accountability with parents and students to prevent future incidents.”