Students' racism claims prompt equity audit at local high school

Two Black students seeking action from school board Years of alleged racism at St Anne’s High School in Clinton results in student complaints. CTV London’s Scott Miller reports.

At St.Anne’s Catholic Secondary School in Clinton, Azana John and Sadie Squires are two of approximately ten students of colour in the entire school, and that has come with an unwelcome cost.

"In September, on the like the second day of school, I was called the 'N word'," says Squires.

"Students are just called the 'N word' all the time in the halls, and in sports, on the field," says John.

The Grade 12 and Grade 13 St. Anne’s students say fellow students touch their hair without permission, and a Colombian student was recently called a "banana picker," and that’s just a few examples, they say. The girls says their reports of the racist taunts, to school administration, have fallen on deaf ears.

"The student who called me the 'N word' got an in school suspension, and had to define the 'N word', but defined it incorrectly, and nothing else happened with it,” says Squires.

John and Squires say they tried to hold a protest about the racism they say they’ve faced, but were thwarted by school administration. They are seeking a zero tolerance racism policy at St. Anne’s, and real consequences for those committing acts of racism.

"They’re making excuses, and it’s becoming frustrating, now. We’re at a breaking point," says John.

The Huron-Perth Catholic District School Board says they are troubled by the girl’s racism claims, and will be hiring an auditor to review the board’s racism policy.

"The foci of the audit will be to review this situation and conduct a thorough review of the district’s anti-racism policies, anti-racism plans and the procedures by which its schools deal with allegations of racism. The report from the auditor will be critical for the district to improve its approaches," says Chris N. Roehring, Director of Education with the Huron-Perth Catholic District School Board.

John and Squires, who will soon graduate, say they’ve heard it all before, and will believe their claims have really been heard, when the next generation of minority students, aren’t hearing taunts and slurs, about the colour of their skin.

"I’m worried for them when they go on, our siblings and friends that are being left behind. It’s hard, because we can’t protect them, the way we did, this year," says John.

"None of the staff are people of colour. So, it’s hard to communicate with the staff the experiences we have, because they don’t understand it, to the full extent," says Squires.