Dear School Board Trustees;

We are writing to you as a group of Jewish parents and caregivers of children who attend TDSB schools. We’re concerned about the targeting of TDSB staff Javier Davila and the mischaracterization that Jewish parents and caregivers are unhappy with his work and/or the work of diversity educators in the board.

We are parents and caregivers who appreciate the diversity of students, staff and teaching at the TDSB and appreciate that there are staff members who can address different equity and human rights issues. We appreciate that teachers don’t shy away from sensitive issues like gender-based violence and anti-Black racism (in an age-appropriate manner). And we appreciate that our children and the diverse student body can access information on the many topics in the news including the situation in Israel/Palestine. Indeed, in the wake of recent revelations about the residential school system, police violence, and structural racism, we have been heartened by the TDSB’s stated commitments to reconciliation, decolonization, Indigenization, and anti-racism. We see Mr. Davila’s actions as an extension of these commitments, and we commend him for them.  

We have read that this all started with an article by Sue Ann Levy article in the Toronto Sun aimed at publicly discrediting Mr. Davila for sending out a carefully curated resource on Israel and Palestine. We’re concerned that the TDSB would give credence to an opinion writer at The Sun, when the newspaper is generally not accepted as a credible source by the board’s own teachers for school assignments.

The resources that Mr. Davila shared were in no way anti-Semitic, and we’re concerned that this investigation will put a chill on TDSB staff who may fear discussing this issue or possibly other issues that are perceived as controversial. We request that TDSB staff be given the freedom to share credible resources from human rights organizations and mainstream newspapers, as Mr. Davila did, on this topic and any other, without being disciplined.

By punishing Mr. Davila for availing students of information about Palestinian human rights, the TDSB is failing in its responsibility to students and families who are impacted by the Israel/Palestine conflict. This includes both Palestinian and other Arab students as well as Jewish students who feel a connection to the issue.

Finally, as Jewish parents, we refuse the notion that Palestinian human rights are somehow oppositional to our own -- in fact, the opposite is true. Anti-Semitism and Islamophobia are both features of white supremacy. We call on the TDSB to “walk the walk” when it comes to its leadership role in education that includes an anti-oppression and human rights lens.

Sincerely,