THE National Council of Canadian Muslims (NCCM) on Thursday demanded further action from the Peel District School Board (PDSB) in light of alleged Islamophobic remarks by Principal Julie DeMaeyer of Central Peel Secondary School in Brampton.
On May 27, DeMaeyer was temporarily removed from her position as the PDSB investigates an Islamophobic remark she made during a staff meeting.
“While we appreciate the PDSB taking the step to temporarily remove Principal DeMaeyer and investigate her remarks, this does not go far enough.The alleged remarks made by Principal DeMaeyer are not the first time students have been referred to as a bomb threat by PDSB employees,” said Mustafa Ali, NCCM Strategy and Government Relations Advisor.
Just three months ago NCCM raised concerns about a PDSB teacher who removed a Muslim student from class and called him a bomb threat.
“These incidents are symptomatic of a deeper systemic issue at the PDSB that needs to be addressed immediately. Muslim students make up 23.5% of the PDSB student population. At a minimum, Muslim parents should be able to expect that their children will not be referred to as bomb threats by their teachers and principals,” said Ali.
The NCCM recommends that the PDSB immediately take the following steps:
- Issue a public apology from DeMaeyer to the Central Peel Secondary School community and to the Canadian Muslim community in Peel region.
- Mandate anti-Islamophobia training across the PDSB for teachers, principals and staff
- Instate a Muslim student affairs coordinator to address everyday concerns of Muslim students and families in PDSB
