Vetoomus osoitettu: Ontario Minister of Education and Supervisor - Toronto District School Board

We, the undersigned, are deeply alarmed by the firing of two teachers, and the earlier suspensions without pay of eight additional teachers at Bowmore Road Junior and Senior Public School. These actions have shaken our confidence in the fairness, transparency, and integrity of decision‑making by the Toronto District School Board (TDSB) and the Ontario Ministry of Education.

As parents, students, caregivers, community members, and members of the public, we demand answers and accountability. The community deserves to know how and why these extreme measures were taken—and that they were taken fairly.

Our Immediate Demands
We call on the Ministry‑appointed TDSB Supervisor and the Minister of Education to take the following actions without delay:

1. Reinstate and fully restore the affected educators

• Immediately reinstate the two teachers who were fired to their positions at Bowmore, with no loss of seniority, pending the outcome of a fair and independent review.
• Confirm in writing that all eight teachers who were previously suspended without pay are now fully restored to their original roles, with back pay and full recognition of service, and that no further conditions or hidden penalties remain attached to those suspensions.
• Where the independent review finds no just cause for any discipline, remove all related discipline from personnel files and provide full restitution.

2. Independent, third‑party review

• Appoint an independent, arms‑length investigator who is not employed by the TDSB or the Ministry and who has had no involvement in these decisions.
• Direct this review to examine:
• the processes that led to the firing of the two teachers and the earlier suspensions without pay of eight teachers;
• whether TDSB policies, collective agreements, human‑rights obligations, and Ministry directives were followed; and
• whether there were procedural or systemic unfairnesses.
• Commit to releasing a public summary of the investigator’s findings and recommendations within a clear timeline, with appropriate privacy protections, and to implementing those recommendations in full.

3. Restoring trust under provincial supervision

• Acknowledge that the appointment of a provincial supervisor has removed normal democratic oversight by elected trustees, and set out how community and stakeholder voices—including unions and professional associations—will be meaningfully heard while supervision is in place.
• Hold at least one public meeting (virtual or in‑person) where the Supervisor and Ministry representatives respond directly to questions and concerns from parents, students, staff, unions, and community organizations about these cases and the broader disciplinary process.
• Publish clear, accessible information about investigative and disciplinary procedures for staff—including timelines, rights to representation, and avenues of appeal—so the public understands how such decisions are made.

We believe that student safety, educator rights, and public trust in education are all best protected through processes that are fair, transparent, and accountable. We therefore urge the TDSB Supervisor and the Minister of Education to immediately reinstate the fired teachers, clear the records of wrongfully suspended educators, authorize a full independent review, and take public responsibility for repairing the damage done to this school community.