What to know
- A mother from Tottenham, Ontario discovered her nine-year-old son’s name on a threatening “kill list” at his school, along with two other boys.
- She fears the act may have been racially motivated, as all three targeted boys are Black and had previously been subjected to racial slurs by the suspected student.
- The student responsible received a 10-day suspension, prompting the mother to involve the OPP, who said the likelihood of the threats being carried out was low.
- The mother is calling on the school to fully expel the student and take stronger accountability, expressing concern that her son’s safety and racialized students’ concerns are not being prioritized.
A mother from Tottenham, Ont. is urging the Simcoe Muskoka Catholic District School Board (SMCDSB) to take urgent action after her nine-year-old son’s name appeared on a threatening “kill list,” an incident she fears may have been racially motivated.
Nicola Reid-Collins says her son, who attends Father F.X. O’Rilley Catholic School was helping a supply teacher clean a classroom last week when he discovered a crumpled piece of paper with disturbing and threatening messages.
“There were three names listed on the piece of paper, my son’s and two other boys’ in the class, and it was a kill list,” Reid-Collins tells Now Toronto.
She says beside their names were specific threats targeting each of the young boys.
“For my son, beside his name, it said that they wanted to set him on fire. One of the other names said that they wanted to electrocute that child. And then the other name, it said that he wanted to put a hex or a curse on that specific individual,” Reid-Collins says.
To make matters worse, the mother says the act may have been racially motivated due to all three of the boys listed being the only Black kids in the class, and the suspected child who wrote the note allegedly using racial slurs a week prior to when the note was found.
“One of the kids that was on the list was also called the N word by that specific student. And it’s no coincidence to me that all three of the boys on the list are racialized students,” she said.
Reid-Collins says the child who wrote the list was only given a 10-day suspension by the school, and was told by administration that he would not be expelled due to only being in Grade 4.
As a result, she took it a step further and filed a report with the Ontario Provincial Police (OPP).
“The police were able to speak to the principal, see the note, and then also go visit the child who wrote the note and the family, and speak to them about that,” she said.
However, she says not much came from the call either. The police informed her that they visited the child and parents, and told her the likelihood of the threats being carried out are unlikely.
Reid-Collins says she has hit a wall, and feels her son and his friends’ safety are not being prioritized because of his race.
“I don’t feel like they’re taking this as seriously as they should be, because he’s Black… As the mother, it just genuinely makes me so sad, because it makes me feel as if it’s sending the message to my child and those other two boys that they’re not important,” she says.
She’s now calling on the school to fully expel the child to protect her child and his friends.
Despite her calls, she says she was offered restorative justice by the principal and superintendent.
“Which means that they would have my child and that specific child who wrote the note have counseling sessions together, and then put that child back in the classroom… It bothers me because I just don’t understand how they expect those three boys to effectively learn in a classroom with someone who has threatened their life,” she said.
While her son remains safe, Reid-Collins fears what could have happened, and what could still happen if her concerns are not taken seriously.
“We keep seeing these things happen time and time again. And a lot of people don’t really see the severity of something until it happens to them,” she said. “But for me as a mom, I don’t want their future being cut short over people not taking claims seriously.”
In a statement to Now Toronto, the OPP says it takes all reports involving student safety seriously and continues to work closely with the school to offer support as needed.
In a separate email to Now Toronto, the SMCDSB says as soon as it became aware of the situation they initiated the Board’s Threat Assessment and Intervention protocol to assess risk and support safety and well-being in school communities.
While the board cannot comment on the situation due to privacy legislation, its statement outlines the process that is typically used to respond to school-based threats.
“A team of trained professionals conducts a thorough assessment, including interviews and conversations with the affected students and families. Depending on the circumstances, police and other community partners may also be engaged. The level of risk is determined and this helps inform an intervention plan as well as decisions around appropriate disciplinary measures,” the statement says.
But still, Reid-Collins says this is not enough reassurance for her and her child, and she also wants to see the school board take more accountability for how they deal with issues involving race.
“I also would like for them to take accountability for the fact that when it comes to racialized families and racialized children, they like to push things under the rug, and they like to avoid us and not take our concerns seriously,” she says. “But our lives need to be valued just as much as other children.”
Reid-Collins says she has arranged a meeting with the superintendent on March 26 to discuss the issue further.
