Canadian school board investigates keffiyeh incident between educator, student

By Barry Ellsworth​​​​​​​

TRENTON, Canada (AA) – A school board in Ontario, Canada has sent a staff member home while it investigates an incident involving a student wearing a keffiyeh, the board told parents in a message Sunday.

The Iroquois Ridge High School in Oakville (near Toronto) said the employee has been sent home pending the outcome of the investigation into whether “harmful and discriminatory anti-Palestinian racist language” was directed toward a student.

The action followed receipt of a video of the incident received by the Muslim Advisory Council of Canada, and who in turn sent the video to the board.

“We’re troubled by @HaltonDSB Guidance Counselor likening a student to a terrorist for wearing a Keffiyeh – a cultural piece of clothing,” the X post read.

In the video, a woman can be heard speaking to a student who was wearing a keffiyeh under a hoodie.

“I want you to be careful…so you won’t be judged by that,” she said to him, adding that she did not treat the student that as a terrorist. The white-and-black checkered scarf has become a symbol of solidarity with Palestinians. The woman said the keffiyeh reminds her of Hamas. “But I didn’t call you a terrorist,” she said.

“Oh, OK, so I’m not a terrorist and you don’t treat me like a terrorist, but I look like one?” the student replied.

“We are deeply concerned by this and share our community's concerns that this behaviour is harmful and unacceptable,” school principal John Stieva wrote in the message, reported CBC News.

“Anti-Palestinian racism, and racism in any form, is not tolerated at our school. Iroquois Ridge HS (high school), along with all schools in the Halton District School Board (HDSB), strongly condemns this behaviour and are committed to upholding the Human Rights Code,” it said.