Thames Valley District School Board notifies parents of situation at Saunders Secondary School

Racial violence at a London high school has renewed calls for peace Daryl Newcombe brings the latest efforts to resolve tensions at Saunders Secondary

Please note that some viewers may find the following story disturbing.

Violence between students at a London high school has families on edge, but is it actually rooted in a racial divide?

A spokesperson for the London Muslim mosque has a different explanation for recent incidents involving students at Saunders secondary.

Nawaz Tahir tell’s CTV News it is not indicative of broader racial tensions, “we have to make sure that we examine our unconscious bias to not jump to those kinds of conclusions.”

Tahir believes a fight between two individual students on October 1st was not racially motivated, contrary to speculation on social media, “it is just an isolated incident that got out of hand because things got heated, but our understanding from what we've been told by the board is that it is not an issue between two ethnic groups.”

But the Thames Valley District school board’s Don Macpherson says the fight has increased racial tension between two groups of students, “the initial event we don't understand as being a racial thing, by the time that fight took place in the Westmount area things certainly were divided between two racial groups. They absolutely were divided between a middle eastern group of kids and an indigenous group of kids.”

The school board has brought in additional school resource police officers and security guards to ensure students feel safe.

Macpherson adds meetings have been held to address the racial tensions, “there is racial tension that as a board we certainly have to address. And we have a great commitment from both communities to work together.”

The mosque says it is making itself available to support students and families at Saunders, “from either a child's perspective or a parents perspective we would like to help out however we can.”

According to London police neither student involved in the October 1st fight was charged because the violence was deemed "consensual".

The Thames Valley District School Board sent the following letter home to parents updating them on the situation:

Dear Parents and Guardians,

Recent media coverage of violent incidents between some Saunders Secondary School students has been challenging for students, parents and the school community.

Thames Valley wishes to assure you of our commitment to providing a safe and inclusive learning environment for all students.

In response to concerns expressed by the community, the London Police Service is providing more visible support at Saunders to ensure the safety of students, at this time. Staff and administration at the school are committed to being visible in the school to provide additional support to students.

At the same time, Board and school officials have been meeting with students, parents, and community members who have expressed genuine interest in working together to raise cultural awareness and find common ground. With collaboration, specific solutions will be put in place and we will continue to be flexible as we listen to the input from our students, parents and community.

Thames Valley is committed to working with the community and creating a process of ongoing consultation. Parents and guardians are invited to contact the school directly for more information about recent events and the efforts being made to move forward and promote an environment that welcomes and values all members of our school community.

Students themselves will play an important part in the planning and implementation of key educational programs focusing on learning about each other and promoting tolerance and understanding.

As always, our goal is to create a safe and inclusive learning environment to support student achievement and well-being.

If you have additional concerns or questions, please contact Principal Sarah Khan at 519-452-2770.