Police find no evidence of alleged hate-motivated confinement of Grade 1 student by TDSB staff

Toronto police have ended an investigation into the alleged hate-motived forcible confinement of a Grade 1 student at John Fisher Junior Public School, saying detectives found no evidence to support laying charges against staff.

The boy's mother alleged in March that he was subjected to months of anti-Black racism at the north Toronto school. Police probed two specific allegations that he was confined in a closet-sized room in an administrator's office and that hateful messages were written on a desk.

In a statement, police said that the investigators interviewed dozens of people, including the alleged victim, the family, teachers and school administrators, students and parents, and former students of the school. 

The investigation was reviewed by officers from Toronto police's Hate Crime Unit to "determine if the alleged offences were motivated by bias, prejudice or hate" and, once complete, the findings were also assessed by the province's Hate Crime Working Group, the statement said.

"Although we understand these allegations are upsetting, the thorough and consultative investigation undertaken by the Service found no evidence to support the laying of charges," the statement said.

Three Toronto District School Board (TDSB) employees — the school's principal, vice principal and a teacher — were put on home assignment when the allegations first surfaced.

At the time, the TDSB said it had received reports of "serious acts of anti-Black racism" at the school. In response, the board retained an external investigator to look into the claims. 

"No child should experience what has been reported and we apologize for the impact it has had on the student and their family," the TDSB said in its initial statement.

In a May 11 letter sent to families and shared with CBC Toronto, the TDSB said the employees will stay on home assignment until its own investigation is complete. That investigation, however, cannot continue until a third, separate probe by the Children's Aid Society is concluded as per the board's existing procedure, the TDSB said.

"We recognize that this has been, and continues to be, a difficult time for students, staff and families — especially those directly involved who deserve a prompt resolution," said Roni Felsen, superintendent of education, in the letter.

"Please know that once given the go-ahead to do so, the external investigator who has been retained will work to complete the investigation as soon as possible," Felsen continued.

The boy's mother, Faridah, went public with the allegations via the advocacy group Parents of Black Children, which has called for a provincewide framework and an inquiry into how school boards treat instances of reported racism. CBC Toronto is not using Faridah's surname to protect her son's identity.

Faridah said at the time that the circumstances of her son's alleged confinement were captured on a digital recording device she hid in his pocket to document what was happening to him after what she felt was a lack of progress in addressing her concerns.

"I felt drained and confused, and you begin to doubt your child for no reason," she said in March.