Waterloo Catholic school board provides progress update after police called to remove 4-year-old

An incident that sparked a flurry of controversy just over a year ago is back in the spotlight.

An incident that sparked a flurry of controversy just over a year ago is back in the spotlight.

At Monday night’s Waterloo Catholic District School Board (WCDSB) meeting, trustees received an update on the board’s progress on recommendations outlined in a review of a November 2021 incident that saw a four-year-old Black child removed from a Kitchener school by police.

WCDSB director of education Tyrone Dowling says they've achieved some of the recommended targets following a provincial review. This includes making a plan to communicate with families when students when incidents occur as well as working to attract more diverse applicants for open positions.

"I would say this is a process that's going to take time," said Dowling. "It's something that we are committed to."

The recommendations from the province include hiring Black consultants and professionals and amending staff policies to ensure racism and forms of discrimination are subject to disciplinary measures.

"It's high time that there's fair and true representation in all areas of our lives," said Fadhilah Balogun of the African Women's Alliance of Waterloo Region. "For us, it's not just about hiring Blacks, but making sure teachers have the right mindset to deal with our young ones, because they can either make or break these children."

The province recommended the steps be completed within a year.