Toronto

Peel District School Board investigates after teacher allegedly shares racist post on Instagram

The Peel District School Board says its conducting an investigation after a supply teacher allegedly shared an "inappropriate Instagram post" the board said could be considered "anti-Black racism."

'This matter is being taken very seriously by senior leadership,' board says

A sign says Peel District School Board.
The Peel District School Board says it learned of the supply teacher's alleged Instagram post on Saturday. (CBC)
The Peel District School Board says it's conducting an investigation after a supply teacher allegedly shared an "inappropriate Instagram post" the board said could be considered "anti-Black racism." 

The post contains a photo of a black student with braided hair next to a photo of Marlon Wayans from the 1996 comedy film Don't Be a Menace to South Central While You're Drinking Your Juice in the Hood and the caption "Who rocked it better?? LOLOLOL"

The board says it learned about the post when it was shared as a screengrab on Twitter.

(Giaper/Twitter)

"We became concerned, as this behaviour is simply unacceptable," Carla Pereira, director of communications and community relations for the Peel District School Board, told CBC Toronto in a statement.

After learning about the post, the board says it reached out to the user on Twitter who shared it and forwarded it to the school's superintendent, who in turn launched an investigation into the matter on Saturday. 

For the duration of the investigation, the teacher will be "assigned home" and cannot contact students or staff.

The teacher's alleged Instagram post has drawn significant outrage on social media since it was shared on Twitter.

The school board stresses that it is taking the matter seriously.

"We don't yet know how long the investigation will take or what the outcome will be, as we're just getting started, but want to assure our community that this matter is being taken very seriously by senior leadership of the Peel board," Pereira said.