Because What You Don’t Know
Does Hurt Them
Some Ontario school boards are ignoring mandated policies and using “privacy” as a shield to hide the truth. Violence is on the rise. Accountability is absent. This culture of secrecy is harming our children, school boards are protecting the institution, not our kids.
A recent audit of 60 publicly funded school boards in Ontario, conducted by our contributing partner School Board Research, found that over half lacked a system for parents to report bullying of their children.
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Our Kids. Our Right to Know.
Demand Transparency. Demand Accountability.
Ontario’s publicly funded schools are in crisis, and families have the right to know the truth.
School boards have been allowed to operate as their own judge and jury, conducting closed-door investigations in a system with no oversight, no balance, and no obligation to be transparent or share the truth with families directly affected by school violence or misconduct.
Parents are sounding the alarm on safety and systemic misconduct, only to be ignored. Not by accident, but by design.
We’ve heard from families and educators across Ontario: the system is out of control. Even worse, schools are using “privacy” as a shield to avoid scrutiny and block parents from accessing documentation, even when their child is harmed.
In our own personal story, the Peel District School Board, intentionally lied to us, they fabricated details, ignored mandated policies and refused to cooperate with Peel Regional Police.
This practice leaves parents and guardians vulnerable, uninformed, and unable to advocate for their child’s safety and well-being. Without consequences, nothing changes. It is time to hold schools, school boards and administrators to a higher standard of fairness, integrity, and accountability.
Parents and Guardians Have the Right To:
What We’re Demanding
We call on the Government of Ontario to amend the Education Act to ensure:
What our HSA Investigations Have Uncovered
School Safety & Accountability
For seven hours each day, parents trust that their children are learning in a safe, well-supervised environment. Yet in far too many school boards, that trust is being broken.
In collaboration with our contributing partners and informed by candid family reports, one-on-one interviews with educators, and documentation our exclusive HSA investigations have identified a troubling pattern of serious and concerning incidents occurring within publicly funded schools. They include but not limited to:
Toronto District School Board (TDSB) Peel District School Board (PDSB) York Region District School Board (YRDSB)
Durham District School Board (DDSB) Halton District School Board (HDSB) Hamilton-Wentworth District School Board (HWDSB)
Waterloo Region District School Board (WRDSB) Thames Valley District School Board (TVDSB) Ottawa-Carleton District School Board (OCDSB)
Toronto Catholic District School Board (TCDSB) Peel Catholic District School Board (DPCDSB) York Catholic District School Board (YCDSB)
Durham Catholic District School Board (DCDSB Halton Catholic District School Board (HCDSB)
Some of the documented incidents raising concerns about policy compliance and student safety include:
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Physical assaults
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Sexual assaults
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Weapons brought to school
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Bullying
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Older students recording younger children in school bathroom
Our Delegation
Anwar Knight, Founder of HSA, presented what is believed to be the first delegation of its kind in Canada to Peel Regional Council, issuing a clear call to action that all levels of leadership must take immediate steps to address safety in our schools. He highlighted ongoing concerns within Peel Region, home to the second-largest school board in Canada. Based on the most recent available data, the Peel District School Board has been identified as having the highest number of violent incidents among Ontario school boards.
During the delegation, Regional Chair Nando Iannicca stated on the record in Council Chambers that, with respect to Peel Region school boards, “many an incident where the schools and principal acts like a foreign embassy…” He further added, “often is the time they don’t [follow protocols].” What emerges is a pattern that cannot be ignored, one that raises significant concerns about how the Peel District School Board responds to incidents, communicates with families, and upholds its duty of care.
Since that delegation, HSA’s advocacy efforts have expanded beyond the municipal level. Most recently, Anwar Knight appeared before Ontario’s Standing Committee on Social Policy at Queen’s Park alongside Elizabeth Lance, a contributing partner with HSA, where they presented five HSA-developed amendments to Bill 101.
The recommendations called for stronger accountability measures, greater transparency, improved oversight, and meaningful action to better protect students and support parents navigating the education system. Among them was a proposal to create an independent reporting channel directly to the Deputy Minister of Education, supported by whistleblower protections for trustees, school board staff, and members of the public. HSA argued that accountability cannot rely solely on self-reporting by the individuals or institutions whose conduct may be under review.
HSA noted that the Ontario Ombudsman has had jurisdiction over school boards since September 2015 and has handled approximately 9,000 school board-related cases. Yet, by the Ombudsman’s own account, the vast majority are resolved through referrals to school board officials or reviews of board processes for fairness rather than through measures that compel policy changes or address systemic failures. HSA submitted that these realities underscore the need for stronger reporting mechanisms, independent oversight, and legislative reforms that deliver meaningful accountability for students and families.
Together, these proceedings raise important questions about how incidents are managed, how information is communicated to families, and whether existing policies and protocols are being consistently followed. HSA continues to advocate for transparency, accountability, independent oversight, and meaningful reforms that place student safety first.
Audit Findings (2025)
An exclusive audit conducted by School Board Research, an HSA contributing partner, identified school boards that have failed to comply with fundamental Code of Conduct requirements under the Education Act. The audit further found that the following school boards demonstrated zero compliance with key requirements outlined in Policy/Program Memorandum 128 (PPM 128):
- Bruce-Grey Catholic District School Board
- Greater Essex County District School Board
- London District Catholic School Board
- Simcoe Muskoka Catholic District School Board
- Toronto Catholic District School Board
Classroom Safety Concerns
In the Hamilton-Wentworth District School Board, some elementary schools use the code phrase “wiggle walk” to signal a classroom evacuation due to extreme violent behaviour. While the language sounds harmless, if a child tells a parent they went on a “wiggle walk,” most families would not associate it with a violent incident.
Classroom evacuations due to violent behaviour are being reported regularly in schools across the province, in some cases multiple times a week. Yet parents are rarely informed that this level of disruption or risk is occurring.
Further reinforcing these findings, Kristin Greco, Social Worker, Psychotherapist, and contributing partner to HSA, who treats both students and educators, states:
“Witnessing verbal and physical violence in the classroom will result in symptoms of PTSD.”
Reported Incidents
A Children’s Aid Society investigation confirmed allegations that an elementary school teacher physically harmed young male students. The teacher was later transferred to another school, raising concerns about accountability, parental notification, and student safety. No outreach to families. No explanation of what occurred. No effort to identify all possible victims. (Video link to this HSA story)
In the Peel District School Board, families have reported cases where special education students went missing during the school day. In one instance, a child walked home alone, crossing major roadways. The parents’ first notification did not come from the school, but from their apartment building superintendent, who observed the child entering the building on a security camera. This family later came forward to HSA to share their experience.
In another PDSB school, sources reported a serious incident involving a Grade 8 student attempting to lure Grade 1 students, stating:
“I will give you candy if you come to the bathroom and touch me.”
Notably, parents were never informed.
These cases raise serious questions about supervision, communication, incident reporting, and whether established safety protocols are being consistently followed.
Parents have a right to know what is happening.
Students have a right to a safe learning environment.
Accountability Matters
Accountability isn’t optional, it is essential to keeping our children safe.
Who We Are
Hold Schools Accountable (HSA) is a province-wide network of parents, educators, and community members united by a shared commitment to transparency, accountability, and student safety in Ontario’s publicly funded schools. We believe parents’ voices matter, and that every child deserves a safe and supportive learning environment.
Our contributors bring deep expertise and lived experience to this work. They include an award-winning Canadian broadcaster and investigative journalist; a doctoral candidate in Education whose research produced the first province-wide compliance audit of school board safety policies; a two-time recipient of the NASSLEO President’s Award and former Chief Security Officer responsible for 151 schools over nearly thirty years; and a registered psychotherapist and clinical director who supports students, educators, and first responders affected by institutional trauma.
We are no longer willing to stay silent in the face of systemic dysfunction that places children at risk. This is not a political issue, it is a safety issue. Political and union leadership must move beyond division and come together with a shared focus: taking meaningful action to protect students and restore trust in our schools.
How We Got Here
The “Trio of Trouble” Has Undermined School Safety for Years:
Progressive Discipline Is Failing
Introduced in 2008 to promote inclusive learning environments, the policy is now being misused — enabling serious incidents like physical aggression, threats, and repeated bullying to be minimized or with little to no consequences. Victims are forgotten.Students feel unsafe. Teachers are left unsupported, silenced, and burned out.
Educators are facing a growing wave of violence and intimidation. According to OSSTF, 1 in 3 teachers has experienced violence in the classroom — yet support is lacking, and accountability is no where to be found. The policy is outdated and dangerously out of touch with today’s school realities.
Since 2008, the classroom landscape has changed dramatically. Social media, violence, cyber bullying, and classroom complexity were not what they are today. It’s clear that some students need professional intervention — something Progressive Discipline does not provide.
It’s time to acknowledge what’s no longer working — and take action to ensure safe, supportive learning for all.
We need a modern policy that:
Removal Of School Resource Officers: Why Was It All or Nothing?
School Resource Officers (SROs) were removed due to concerns about over policing. These concerns are valid, but was full elimination the only solution?
SROs once played a role in de-escalation, violence prevention, and building trust. If we value safety and accountability, all stakeholders — community members, students, educators, parents, and police — must work together. Hold Schools Accountable (HSA) supports the Ontario government’s recently announced plan to reintroduce School Resource Officer (SRO) programs in public schools where offered by local police services, starting in the 2025–26 school year. Let’s collaborate, not eliminate.
The Accountability Gap
No Oversight. No Balance. No Consequences.
School boards investigate themselves — behind closed doors, with no obligation to report findings or face consequences. When policies are breached, families are often left in the dark. The lack of transparency has long lasting impacts for the entire school community.
This must change
The Provincial Government Must Act:
School boards must not – and cannot be allowed to police themselves. Parents must have confidence that the rules in place are not optional—they are enforceable.
Just So We’re Clear
We recognize that there are many exceptional teachers, educational assistants, teacher assistants, child youth workers and other staff in our publicly funded schools, dedicated, compassionate, and committed to their students’ success and well-being. They show up every day, often going above and beyond, and they deserve our thanks—and our support.
HSA is fighting for safe, supportive schools—for students, for families, and also for staff.
“Today was the first time in my career of close to 30 years that we had to shut down 4 washrooms. Vandalism has included toilets/urinals clogged with toilet paper, paper towel rolls, pylons, food and clothing as well as wet toilet paper, urine and feces of the floors, walls and sinks.”
PDSB Principal | Email memo to parents
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Support Hold Schools Accountable (HSA): Our Kids. Our Right to Know.
Too many families have been left in the dark – misled, dismissed, or silenced – while schools quietly cover up issues
including violence that affects our children’s safety and well-being.
Hold Schools Accountable (HSA) is a growing movement of parents exposing the truth, supporting families, and demanding
transparency from a system that too often hides behind closed doors.
We produce investigative stories, connect families, and push for real change within our publicly funded education system.
This work is vital, but it also carries real costs. From production and outreach to expert consultations, community
coordination, and possible legal costs every step requires resources.
Please consider supporting our cause. Together, we can protect our kids and hold schools accountable.
