Latest News

School Board Suspends Mississauga Teacher Who Praised Terrorists

Mississauga school teacher Nadia Shoufani speaking at the 2016 al-Quds Day rally in Toronto.

The Dufferin-Peel Catholic District School Board has announced that it has suspended with pay Nadia Shoufani, a teacher from St. Catherine of Siena Separate School who, as first reported by CIJNews (page doesn’t exist), praised terrorists at the Toronto al-Quds Day hatefest in July.

B’nai Brith Canada had filed complaints with police. Separate investigations into Shoufani by both her school board and Toronto Police were launched. B’nai Brith also demanded action from the relevant provincial government officials and local school board trustees.

“It is heartening to see the school board treating this matter seriously,” said Amanda Hohmann, National Director of B’nai Brith Canada’s League for Human Rights. “At a time when the antisemitic BDS movement is being embraced by one of Canada’s major political parties, and when perpetrators of antisemitism are rarely held to account, this is a positive step.”

Nancy Marshall, Communications Officer for the school board, told B’nai Brith that the investigation into Shoufani’s conduct has been elevated to the Ontario College of Teachers, which will cooperate with the school board in this regard. B’nai Brith had previously contacted the Ontario College of Teachers, which explained that complaints against teachers can only be filed by students, parents or school boards, rather than members of the general public.

B’nai Brith will continue to monitor the various investigations into antisemitic incitement at this year’s Toronto al-Quds Day rally, and is calling for the hatefest to be banned in future years.