Teacher alleges 'state of crisis' at Mississauga school, board launches investigation

School board officials say they are investigating conditions at a Mississauga middle school after an anonymous letter alleged it is in a "state of crisis" and unsafe.

In a statement on Wednesday, the Peel District School Board said it is aware of the letter describing violence by students at Tomken Road Middle School, located in the Applewood Heights neighbourhood. The school, which runs from Grade 6 to 8, has about 900 students.

News of the investigation comes after a letter began circulating on Twitter on Saturday. In an interview with CBC News, the teacher behind the letter said students at the school are out of control.

CBC is not naming the teacher over fears of repercussions to their employment. 

"We're talking about a school, a climate in a school where staff and students are scared to walk down the hall. Just to walk from one class to another can incite fear in students and staff. We're talking about students completely ignoring any type of structure in the school, any type of rules," the teacher said.

"Students are scared. Doors are locked in our school... If you leave a door unlocked, a student will come in. They could steal something. They could vandalize. It's a scary place to be."

The board said it is investigating specific claims made in the letter, adding the superintendent was at the school on Wednesday to support the school community and to organize meetings with staff this week. The board also said students have been suspended due to certain incidents alleged in the letter, though it did not provide specifics.

According to the letter, teachers, custodians, support staff, supply teachers, long term occasional teachers, office administrators, volunteers and students have faced "countless unsafe interactions on a daily basis" during the school year.

"The climate of our school is one of violence, fear and is well on its way to being one of long lasting trauma for many students. We write this letter as a desperate call for help to make changes to our learning environment in order to make it the safe place it once was," the letter reads.

The letter lists several examples of "disorderly conduct" by students.

They include students defecating on bathroom floors and rubbing feces on the walls, uttering homophobic slurs at staff and students, throwing empty cups at teachers' heads, stealing from other students, vandalizing washrooms and the office and threatening physical violence to other students and staff. 

Students have also called teachers names, have banged on their doors and run away and called the classroom phone and hung up repeatedly when the teacher has answered, the teacher who wrote the letter told CBC Toronto.

The teacher behind the letter, originally intended for the board, said it was written because teachers feel "defeated" and "alone" at being ignored by administrators.

The teacher said staff members have asked Principal Nicholas Berardi for help to improve conditions since September. After months of "inaction," at least 51 per cent of staff asked for a meeting with Supt. Dahlia Battick. According to the teacher, Battick agreed to meet for two hours over two days, but didn't show up to the first meeting because she said she forgot.