Ontario School Board Denies Training Materials Linked the Word ‘Family’ With Racism

The Canadian Press/Nathan Denette

Waterloo Region District School Board is defending itself against allegations that some of its training materials suggest the term “family” is racist.

The school board said several trustees have received emails about the issue since an article was published by Juno News on June 4 saying educators were being taught the word family was “a harmful concept and is rooted in white supremacy.”

Waterloo Region District School Board (WRDSB) chair Maedith Radlein said in a June 10 statement that the news article “did not include the full context of the presentation.”

“The word ‘family’ and what it represents is integral to all we do,” Radlein said. “Families are seen as active partners in the learning and well-being of their children. They are seen every day in our schools contributing to public education.”

The True North report, published by Juno News, was based on slideshow materials obtained by the media outlet from training sessions conducted at the Waterloo-Oxford District Secondary School in November 2023 by the Ontario Secondary School Teachers Federation.

“One of the offensive words in question is ‘family,’ which is said to be harmful to racialized students because it implies male authority, demands obedience without question, and erodes personal boundaries by ‘prioritizing the family’s needs,” the report said in describing the slideshow.

The slide show also called “terms like ‘objectivity,’ ‘perfectionism,’ and ‘worship of the written word’ … hallmarks of Whiteness” that uphold “white supremacy.”

The Epoch Times does not have access to the original document and cannot independently verify the information.

The presentation was delivered more than a year ago, and was in compliance with government requirements, according to the school board.

“The excerpts shared were part of a larger professional development session designed to deepen understanding around language, systemic bias, and how we can work together to ensure all students and families feel seen, respected and included,” the board said in a June 6 statement. “The session explored how different communities may experience public institutions differently, and how educators can be thoughtful and inclusive in their communication.”

Radlein noted in her statement that there has been “no change in the quality of partnership between school and families” since the training was offered.

“Families have always been and will always be welcome in every school in the WRDSB; they are an integral part of school life,” she said, adding that training needs to “explore and understand the ever changing and evolving nature of language and how it has affected the lived experiences of some of the families in the WRDSB.”

The training materials were developed by Canada’s Anti-Racism Strategy, the Ministry of Education’s Anti-Black Racism Strategy, and the Ontario College of Teachers’ Professional Advisory on Anti-Black Racism, the board said.

Past Incidents

There has been other past cases of the school board stirring controversy over social issues.

WRDSB replaced references to “parent” with “family” or “caregiver” in policy documents in 2023, saying those terms were “more inclusive.”

Policy documents pertaining to the support of students with medical conditions, improving engagement and communications with families, and fundraising had the terms “parents” and “legal guardians” removed and replaced with “families” and “caregivers.”

The board also stirred controversy in 2022 after restricting a presentation by then-teacher Carolyn Burjoski. She shared her concerns at a board meeting about the content of some children’s library books, questioning their age appropriateness on topics such as gender identity and transition.

She said the books made it “seem simple or even cool [to] take puberty [blockers] or opposite sex hormones.”

Board chair Scott Piatkowski stopped her in the middle of her presentation, saying her words could violate Ontario’s Human Rights Code.

Burjoski filed a lawsuit for judicial review, but the court decided against her. She tried to appeal but the Ontario Court of Appeal rejected her request.

She also filed a defamation case following comments that Piatkowski made to media outlets. That case is still before the courts.