TDSB field trip to rally compromised 'emotional safety of some Jewish students,' report says

A report that looked into a field trip by the Toronto District School Board last year says the "emotional safety of some Jewish students was compromised" at the event but not their physical safety, and that the board failed to follow its own policies and procedures when it organized the excursion.

The report, released Wednesday and written for the provincial government by former Ontario civil servant Patrick Case, looked into the field trip to the Grassy Narrows River Run in Toronto on Sept. 18, 2024, where pro-Palestinian chants were heard and anti-Zionist stickers were worn by some.

Following an outcry, Ontario Premier Doug Ford asked the education ministry to investigate the field trip, saying children shouldn't be at protests and should instead be in school learning math, spelling, geography and history.

"Despite the fact that the TDSB failed to comply with its own policy and procedure that are intended to ensure student safety, with respect to the planned field trip to the Grassy Narrows River Run event, there was no evidence that 'students were forced to participate in a political protest' nor was students' physical safety compromised," the report says.

"That said, the emotional safety of some Jewish students was compromised. Teachers and principals should be more consciously anticipatory with regard to proposed field trips and clearly communicate with parents."

The report's conclusion says in part: "There is value in engaging students in constructive and critical conversations and content while upholding human rights principles and respecting each student's identity and lived experience."

The Grassy Narrows River Run march was held to pressure the government to address decades-long mercury contamination in Grassy Narrows First Nation since a paper mill in Dryden, Ont., dumped 9,000 kilograms of the substance into the river systems in the 1960s.

The TDSB took about 535 students, ranging from grades three to 12, from 19 schools to the event. The event involved a gathering at Grange Park, a march to Queen's Park and a gathering at Queen's Park.

Videos on social media showed some march participants chanting pro-Palestinian slogans, which prompted Ford to call it a "Palestinian rally" and complain that teachers were trying to indoctrinate children.

Pro-Palestinian chants lasted minutes: report

According to the report, participants did chant pro-Palestinian slogans and wore anti-Zionist stickers at the rally.

One chant heard, according to students interviewed, was: "From Turtle Island, to Palestine, occupation is a crime." One student also believed they heard: "From the river to the sea, Palestine will be free."

The report says the chanting did not last long given the length of the event, which was attended by thousands of people.

"Without minimizing the deleterious effect of the pro-Palestinian chants and anti-Zionist stickers on children, I cannot overstate the importance of context. According to those who attended the event (both Jewish and non-Jewish students and teachers), the pro-Palestinian chants took up a total of approximately five minutes of the eight-hour event," the report says. 

The report also notes that the TDSB principals of all 19 schools failed to obtain approval from their superintendents for the field trip, which is required by the board's own policy because the field trip was not on an approved directory of excursions. It also failed to do so at least one month before the trip.

But the report says: "Every TDSB student under the age of 18 who attended had done so with parental or guardian consent; those students over 18 were able to provide their own verbal consent. No parent or guardian reported to me that their child attended the excursion without their consent." 

New Education Minister Paul Calandra told reporters on Wednesday that the TDSB didn't follow its own rules.

"Had the board just simply followed the procedures that it had already put in place for approving trips like this, then maybe they would not have been in the position that they were in," Calandra said.

The report makes several recommendations, including that:

• The TDSB should not organize field trips where it is "anticipated that one-sided political views might have the effect of denigrating the identity of others."
• Teachers should be required to organize a discussion with students about the nature of "anticipated views" before a field trip, ensure that they address student comfort levels with particular views, including after returning to school and speak with students about "perceived challenging behaviour or views."
• The Ontario Education Ministry should develop a mandatory three-part professional development series for all trustees and senior board leaders on "addressing and facilitating conversations" on antisemitism in schools and on the erasure of Palestinians in school life.

In a statement on Wednesday, the TSDB said it has received the report and taken action.

"Following the field trip, we strengthened our excursion approvals process and provided clear direction to schools regarding field trips. In the fall, Trustees requested an expedited review of TDSB's excursion policy and procedure, and it will be informed by the report's recommendations," the TDSB said.

Distinction between emotional, physical safety 'offensive'

Michelle Stock, vice president Ontario, Centre for Israel and Jewish Affairs, said in a statement on Wednesday that the report is disturbing because it dismisses the lived experience of Jewish students, families and educators. 

"For the past 18 months, Jewish students, parents, and staff across the TDSB have endured a relentless campaign of intimidation, silencing, and antisemitic abuse —all for simply being Jewish. No student in Toronto should be subjected to the trauma of hearing crowds chant genocidal slogans. Yet that is exactly what happened — and it happened on a school-sanctioned field trip," Stock said.

Stock said Case, the investigator, makes a distinction between emotional and physical safety but minimizes the severity of the impact by making such a distinction.

"This distinction is offensive. It shows a shocking lack of understanding of trauma and effectively erases the psychological toll of targeted hate."

Stock said the report is "tone deaf' and "dangerous" because it sends the message that "antisemitic abuse doesn't count unless it turns violent."

She said that message is unacceptable and the government should issue directives to school boards, administrators and educator on how to handle politically sensitive situations so that every student "can learn in an environment free of hate."