Toronto (January 25, 2022) – Friends of Simon Wiesenthal Center (FSWC) commends the Ontario College of Teachers (OCT) for its decision to pull the teaching licence of a former Timmins teacher who promoted Holocaust denial and antisemitic 9/11 conspiracy theories to his students. 

In a hearing held on November 15, 2021, an OCT panel declared that Joseph Biagio DiMarco engaged in “acts of professional misconduct” between 2016-2019 and ordered the revocation of his Certificate of Qualification and Registration. DiMarco’s employment with the Northeastern Catholic District School Board was terminated in 2019. 

According to the OCT’s decision, published in early December, while teaching a unit on the Holocaust during the 2018-2019 school year, DiMarco encouraged students to “question the accuracy” of established Holocaust information and provided unapproved sources that suggested the Holocaust was factually untrue. He further shared the view that the Israeli government is a “malicious force” that “frames itself as the victim, by exaggerating the tragedy of the Holocaust, in order to make the world more receptive to its agenda.” In the weeks leading up to a planned school trip to visit Second World War sites, including a concentration camp, he called the trip “propaganda” by the “powers that be.” 

Furthermore, DiMarco spent time sharing 9/11 conspiracy theories with his class, claiming the Israeli military orchestrated the attacks. He also shared links online to music he wrote lyrics for and performed in music videos; the lyrics “scoff at the notion that 6 million Jews died in the Holocaust” and push 9/11 conspiracy theories, with a “focus on Zionists.” At students’ request, DiMarco played some of the music videos in class.

Prior to these incidents, during the 2016-2017 school year, DiMarco was reported to have told a student that he “got on his nerves” and was a “joke” to him, and told the student that “simply looking at your face is starting to make me feel hate,” causing the student embarrassment. 

FSWC President and CEO Michael Levitt issued the following statement: 

“The disturbing actions by this former teacher demand nothing less than his inability to set foot in a classroom ever again. Instead of using the opportunity to teach about the Holocaust and 9/11 and their lessons, he decided to spread Holocaust denial and antisemitism, doing an extreme disservice to his students. The Ontario College of Teachers made the right decision in revoking the man’s teaching licence. Educators have a duty to not only provide students with factual information, but to also inspire them to be upstanding citizens who stand against hate and intolerance.” 

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