On Monday March 8th the Canadian Civil Liberties Association sent a letter to all Toronto District School Board (TDSB) trustees and senior officials inviting the TDSB to reconsider its ban on all potential “Israeli Apartheid Week” (IAW) activities. The CCLA urged TDSB to repeal this blanket ban in light of its impact on students’ and teachers’ freedom of expression and freedom of association rights. Schools and the school board should not limit the activities and causes that students can support, champion or engage with. Any restrictions on expression must be fully justified and carefully tailored. A blanket ban such as that imposed by the TDSB Director of Education cannot meet this standard. Such a response also hampers teachers, who may choose to use controversial subjects their students are already engaged with as ‘teachable’ moments to foster critical thinking, debate and awareness. Barring exceptional circumstances, the appropriate response to controversial student initiatives is not banning and silencing a given discourse, but questioning, discussing and teaching.
To read CCLA’s letter to the TDSB click here.
