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On the evening of Friday, March 3, 2023, the school administration became aware of a concerning incident of Islamophobia at Courtice Secondary School, which occurred earlier in the day. Specifically, a student damaged a copy of the Quran.  

While we cannot comment on individual disciplinary actions, the »ÆÉ«Ö±²¥ District School Board takes all allegations of discrimination seriously and is taking immediate steps to address this very serious incident.  

As we shared in a note to families on Monday, March 6, 2023, the »ÆÉ«Ö±²¥ District School Board will not tolerate acts of hate towards persons or symbols of faith and are resolute in our commitment to the values of equity, diversity, inclusivity and the dignity and humanity of every individual. We are committed to repairing the harm that has been caused to the Muslim community as a result of this incident.  

KPR’s Equity, Diversity and Inclusion staff are working with the school to continue our important focus on combatting Islamophobia in all its forms and ensuring we provide welcoming and inclusive spaces for everyone.   

We also continue to work with the students and families who have been impacted by this incident to offer our support.  

As part of our next steps in response to this issue, we have reached out to several community groups to work collaboratively, answer questions and concerns, and hear their suggestions about how to repair the harm that this incident has caused. 

We are thankful for the counsel and support we have received, first from students and families at the school, including Courtice Secondary School’s Muslim Student Association, and from the following community groups: 

- National Council of Canadian Muslims (NCCM)  

- Islamic Centre of Oshawa 

- Al Rayan Islamic Centre, and the 

- Muslim Moms of Clarington 

We continue to reach out and welcome feedback from local community groups and associations as we focus on education with the whole school and continue to support the students and staff affected. 

Steve Russell  
Chairperson of the Board  

Jamila Maliha 
Superintendent of Education: Equity, Diversity & Inclusion and Superintendent for Courtice Secondary School 

Additional Information

The Office of the Commissioner of Human Rights, Equity and Accessibility (COHREA) is fully accessible and available to all students, staff and families to report on all issues of concern, and in particular human rights-based issues of discrimination and harassment that involve a breach of the Human Rights Code, and barriers to accessibility under the Accessibility for Ontarians with Disabilities Act. The Commissioner’s Office promptly reviews, assesses and determines necessary next steps for addressing all complaints.  Concerns may be reported confidentially, through the online reporting tool – Report IT!  More information about the COHREA is available on their web page or by contacting the office directly at cohrea@kprdsb.ca

»ÆÉ«Ö±²¥ District School Board is committed to meeting its legal obligations under the Human Rights Code and embedding a working and educational culture that is respectful, inclusive, and free of discrimination and harassment. This is outlined in our Human Rights policy.

»ÆÉ«Ö±²¥ District School Board