Peter Skene Ogden Secondary School and School District 27 are investigating after a staff member at the high school was recorded by students using a racial slur.
The incident occurred in late January after some students shared screenshots of another student's racially insensitive DMs on Facebook. According to the students, who the simplymastery interviewed, the staff member had called one of them into a meeting where they read a post by the student who sent the DMs and quoted the racial epithet, specifically the N-word. The 100 Mile Free Press has heard the recording and can verify the word was apparently used by this staff member.
Following word of the recording being made getting back to PSO administration, the students told the 100 Mile Free Press they were informed it is against the school's rules to secretly record anyone, at any time, without permission. The students said while they were aware of this policy around video recordings, they did not think it applied to audio recordings.
"A school’s code of conduct may or may not specifically reference recording another person, but it would not be respectful or appropriate to record a student, staff, or parent without the other parties’ knowledge," SD2 27 superintendent Cheryl Lenardon said. "The use of a recording, depending on how it was potentially altered, edited, shared, or used, may represent minor to serious conduct."
Two of the students involved have since been suspended following the incident coming to light in what they believe is a response to the recording. Lenardon said any discipline response would be appropriate for specific circumstances but said she could not comment on the specifics of the students' suspensions as that would breach privacy legislation.
"In general, a student may receive a suspension for their own conduct but would not be suspended pending the investigation of someone else’s conduct," Lenardon said.
As to the use of the racial slur itself, Lenardon confirms PSO has already brought this issue to the attention of her office. She said there is no attempt to cover it up and the school district is taking it seriously and is looking into it.
"There will be an appropriate response given the facts and context," Lenardon said. "Privacy also applies to personnel matters, and as such, we will not be commenting on it."
Clayton Hain and Aimee Rochard, two parents whose child is friends with the student who made the recording, raised concerns about how this situation is being handled. They feel PSO is targeting these students for the recording and believe students should be allowed to record one-on-one conversations with teachers. Both Hain and Rochard are former students of PSO and have three children still in the school district.
Rochard and the student who made the recording assert that students should be able to record their teachers for safety purposes, especially if their parents are unable to attend a private meeting between a student and staff member. Rochard also asked the school if they had told the students they weren't allowed to voice record in school.
"From my understanding, Canada Law is a one-party consent and we have the right to record, especially if we feel unsafe. There is no parent there and nobody to protect them. It's a 'he said, she said,' against a figure of authority," Rochard explained, noting if the school doesn't tell students it's not OK to voice record, as far as they know it is.
She also claimed the students who have been suspended have been suspended indefinitely and were told it would last "until the investigation is complete." Hain asserts the students had been suspended for making the recording and violating the policy, which he insisted they knew nothing about.
"I think all conversations between teachers and students should be recorded if they're going to go into a room or have another person there," Hain said, noting that the staff member in question quoted the slur in front of the student's youth worker. "I think body cameras would be a good idea. It would protect the teachers and the students, just like cops. They're taking care of the most valuable possessions in our lives and they don't have any accountability really."
Hain said for him it's the principle of the manner, not necessarily the use of the word itself. He understands it was said only in the context of a quote but still feels an apology and transparency are what is required.
"We in society need to be accountable for our actions. Teachers are a leader in our society, so be accountable and be respectful," Rochard said.
