HWDSB to delay release of bullying panel review report until end of January 2021

Hamilton's public school board will delay the release of its final report on the Safe Schools: Bullying Prevention and Intervention Review Panel, which was implemented after the high-profile death of a student last year.

In an executive report to Hamilton-Wentworth District School Board (HWDSB), director of education Manny Figueiredo proposed releasing the final report on Jan. 25, 2021 instead of Dec. 16.

The motion passed unanimously late Monday during a board meeting.

The report says while the independent review panel finished its final community feedback consultation settings and additional sessions, it wants to add two community sessions and an online session via Thoughtexchange to share the report's draft recommendations to get feedback before finishing it.

Those meetings will take place on the week of Dec. 7.

"In order to honour the commitment of the independent review panel to return to the community to receive feedback on the recommendations, draft recommendations will be shared with the director of education and the community prior to the December Holiday Break," Figueiredo said in the report.

"The final report will be shared and presented by the independent review panel to the board of trustees at the board meeting on Jan. 25, 2021."

The review panel was announced on Nov. 12, 2019 after Devan Selvey was stabbed to death behind Sir Winston Churchill Secondary School on Oct. 7.

The panel is determining how the board should address bullying prevention, intervention, reporting and responding.

The report was originally delayed in March because of the COVID-19 pandemic.