Montreal School Board Faces Backlash Over Student Suspension
The English Montreal School Board is facing growing criticism after suspending a Royal West Academy student for posting comments critical of Israel on her private Instagram account. The incident has sparked a heated debate about free speech rights for students and the boundaries of school authority over off-campus expression.
Lisa Vibert, mother of the suspended student, expressed outrage that the EMSB refused to answer her questions during a recent public meeting. "We've been silenced now," Vibert told The Gazette. "We are the ones that deserve the answers the most."
Controversial Meeting and Technical Difficulties
The conflict came to a head during an EMSB meeting originally scheduled for Tuesday, November 11, which was cancelled due to a power failure. When the rescheduled meeting occurred on Friday, November 14 at noon, several parents discovered their submitted questions about the suspension would not be addressed.
EMSB Chair Joe Ortona announced at the meeting's outset that questions dealing with "an ongoing, pending matter and a personal matter will be non-receivable." Compounding the controversy, the meeting's normal livestream experienced technical difficulties, with a recording only becoming available the following Monday.
When Vibert finally viewed the recorded session, she learned her question about the legal basis for punishing her daughter's online expression had been rejected. The family is now working with lawyer Geneviève Grey to file a complaint with the Quebec Human Rights and Youth Rights Commission.
The Posts That Sparked the Suspension
The student, whom The Gazette is not naming due to fears of academic repercussions, received a six-hour detention on November 7 after other students reported being offended by her October Instagram posts. The controversial content included: "F— Israel holy s—" in reaction to reports of Israel violating a ceasefire agreement, and "Israel allowed Oct. 7 to happen so that they would have an excuse to rain all hell upon Gaza."
The student served the detention under protest, concerned that refusal might jeopardize her final year of high school. Her parents maintain she had every right to express political opinions and that the posts didn't target anyone at the school specifically.
The EMSB has defended the suspension, citing Quebec's province-wide anti-bullying and anti-violence policy that principals must enforce. The board declined to intervene in the school's decision.
Broader Implications for Student Expression
During the question period, Ortona did address some general questions about student expression. When asked how the EMSB ensures students can safely express thoughts and exercise free speech, he pointed to the new Culture and Citizenship in Quebec course as "a positive move towards helping students feel safe in expressing their ideas by fostering a respectful environment for respectful dialogue."
Ortona emphasized the program's digital citizenship component that "helps students navigate online spaces responsibly, understand their rights and duties and engage safely in digital communication."
Another parent questioned whether the EMSB should implement restorative rather than punitive measures for difficult political issues like the Israel-Palestine conflict. Ortona responded that the EMSB provides "unwavering support to all staff and administration" and believes in "fostering a culture of trust and open communication."
When pressed on whether the board would apply the same standards to all students, Ortona declined to characterize the situation as persecution, stating that "every situation is dealt with individually and confidentially on a case-by-case basis."
The case continues to raise fundamental questions about where schools should draw the line between maintaining respectful environments and protecting students' rights to political expression, particularly when that expression occurs outside school grounds on personal social media accounts.
