Windsor high school student says school board slow to act after teacher used N-word

Keyanni Elliott, a grade 12 student at Honourable W.C. Kennedy Collegiate Institute, says he was stunned by one of his teachers casually using a racial slur in Windsor, Ont. on Thursday, Nov. 17, 2022. (Travis Fortnum/CTV News Windsor)

Keyanni Elliott, a grade 12 student at Honourable W.C. Kennedy Collegiate Institute, says a white teacher’s casual use of a racial slur had him stunned.

“Right away we’re like, ‘whoa, what are you doing? Why would you say that?’” Elliott tells CTV News.

Elliot says it was the last period of the day on Nov. 9 when a classmate was allowed to pick a song to be played in class. The one they chose had the N-word within its lyrics and he says the teacher in question called that out by using it.

“She comes down and says: ‘I don’t want you guys playing songs with ‘the N-word’, with the full ‘er,’” Elliott describes.

He says he and his classmates reported the incident to Kyle Berard, the school’s principal, whom assured them he would handle the situation.

When a week went by without any updates Elliott spoke with the school’s vice principal, whom is Black. He says they hadn’t heard the incident took place to begin with and at that point got involved.

A spokesperson for the Greater Essex County District School Board (GECDSB) confirms to CTV News they are aware of an incident “involving the use of harmful language in our school community,” but could not provide much more information.

Elliott, a young Black man himself, says he doesn’t want to ever hear the word because of what it means to his community and his ancestors.

“The word was used when we were being raped, when we were being killed, when we were being torn apart,” he says.

“They use it to tear us town. Discriminate against us. It’s a bad word.”

Elliott says once the vice principal became aware, a “restorative circle” was called by Berard to bring him, some of his classmates and the teacher in question together with a Create Your Future (CYF) teacher – an educational support worker aimed at assisting racialized students with their navigation of the education system.

Elliott says he couldn’t believe his ears when, in that meeting, the teacher in question used the word once more.

“We’re kind of taken aback, ‘are you serious?’” he says.

“We just had an hour long conversation about this and you still decided to say that?”

In a letter to the Kennedy Collegiate community published Wednesday, Principal Berard acknowledges, “there has been an incident in our school community that has had a negative and significant impact on our school community.”

A group of students from Kennedy Collegiate organized a protest after they say little has been done following a teacher's use of a racial slur in Windsor, Ont. on Thursday, Nov. 17, 2022. (Travis Fortnum/CTV News Windsor)

Going on to say: “The GECDSB is currently launching a directive to all members of the organization that specifically prohibits the use of the N-word throughout the Board and a more comprehensive memorandum on all harmful language is being developed.”

Leslie McCurdy, chair of The Black Council of Windsor Essex, says members of the Black community are angered and frustrated by a perceived lack of action.

At a protest the group organized Thursday evening, she says she’s been told the teacher in question has so far been unpunished.

“The school board does not seem to have any urgency about dealing with the issue, whereas there have been situations where Black students have said the word where they have been dealt sentences swiftly,” she says.

A GECDSB spokesperson tells CTV News they can’t “share details of any action taken by the board with regard to an employee.”

Adding that “the matter is not fully concluded.”

Elliott says he doesn’t believe the teacher in question needs to lose their job. He wants the focus to be on learning.

He fears he and his classmates aren’t being heard.

“We need to sit down and know that you cannot say derogatory terms. No derogatory terms at all,” he says.