Teachers' union, education minister worry far-right targeting N.L. schools
Trent Langdon says far-right agenda has teachers in crosshairs
Both the province's education minister and the teachers' union are worried about far-right ideologues targeting schools, and attacking teachers both in person and online, after a series of incidents across the province.
Most recently, within the last week a group of adults — including the parents of students — entered both Holy Trinity High School in Torbay, and Carbonear Collegiate to angrily confront staff.
In videos posted on social media by some of the parents and students in Carbonear, members of the group — who had gathered inside the building — can be seen shouting accusations at two school administrators, including claims staff had been looking at students who were using the washroom.
They said the protest was because of their concerns teachers are going "into the bathrooms and peeking up and over the stalls and between the cracks of the stall."
In separate social media posts, other parents and students said staff were monitoring the bathrooms for people smoking or vaping.
Police intervened at the Carbonear Collegiate incident, removing the parents from the school.
The Newfoundland and Labrador Teachers' Association says teachers are doing their job, and part of that includes supervising students.
And the union's president says similar incidents have happened across the province, leaving school staff feeling harassed.
"Schools have become battlegrounds, it seems, not just physically but also virtually," NLTA president Trent Langdon told CBC Radio's The St. John's Morning Show. "It's time for this to come to an end. Enough is enough."
One of the protesters in the Carbonear Collegiate incident was Shane Sweeney, one of two people charged with criminal harassment and causing a disturbance after leading a "surprise convoy" protest outside Premier Andrew Furey's home on July 9, 2023. The crown in the case decided to drop the charges in exchange for a peace bond requiring Sweeney to keep the peace and be of good behaviour.
"We are being invaded by a far-right agenda, many times attacking diversity and acceptance and respect in our schools," said Langdon.
It's a sentiment echoed by the province's education minister, who said she's aware of the incidents that have happened over the last few weeks.
"If we continue this assault on our institutions then what's to keep us from spiraling into anarchy," said Education Minister Krista Lynn Howell.
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On March 5, NLSchools sent a letter to parents, calling those recent incidents "concerning."
"For the safety of students and school staff, schools are not public spaces," said the letter.
It said no one is allowed on school property without permission and schools will enforce the legislation where necessary.
The incidents have made students and teachers feel uncomfortable, and Langdon said the union is fighting back with a campaign to support teachers.
"It's time for us to reclaim our schools here and for people to say that schools are meant to be an open place for diversity, respect and for learning," he said.
"Because right now attention is being given to small groups of people who are attempting to gain control of the public commentary, and that's not good enough."
Teachers are upset and are receiving personal attacks, he said, adding cases are happening in small towns so the teachers can't escape the harassment, even when going to get groceries.
Part of the NLTA ad campaign includes Langdon saying "many teachers are being slandered, threatened, and attacked with harmful misinformation on social media."
Langdon implored the "adults in the room" to "model decent behaviour for young people."
He said he's working with the Royal Newfoundland Constabulary and Royal Canadian Mounted Police, as well as with the schools, the Conseil scolaire francophone provincial de Terre-Neuve-et-Labrador and government.
"Everyone has a role to play here. But the public needs to be well aware of what they're sharing and what they're liking," said Langdon.
Both Howell and Langdon said if parents have concerns about something happening in the schools, there are proper channels they can work through to have it addressed.
Howell said the appropriate way to raise concerns doesn't include showing up on the school grounds or "bashing them on social media."
It's unfortunate there are people who feel taking those actions is a way to get a response, she said, adding that schools aren't public places so people can enter them "on a whim."
"Ultimately, the message that I want to send out is that our schools are not public places. These are places where you have to have specific access in order to get in. And that's a part of legislation," Howell said.
She said that's enforceable under the Access to Health and Education Services Act, which she said they will enforce while still respecting people's right to protest in appropriate ways.
Howell also thanked the RCMP for responding to the protest at Carbonear Collegiate, though she said it wasn't an avenue she liked to see used.
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With files from The St. John’s Morning Show and Heather Gillis