The Peel District School Board (PDSB) is investigating after a principal made a social media comment contradicting a news article about the rise of antisemitism with a claim that there is instead a rise in anti-Zionism due to Israel committing “genocide” in Palestine. In a Nov. 12 post on X, formerly Twitter, PDSB principal Rich Ward responded to a news article indicating the headline should be changed from “‘Unprecedented’: Antisemitism has skyrocketed in the wake of the Israel-Hamas war” to “Anti-Zionism has skyrocketed in the wake of the Israel-led genocide in Palestine.” He said it needed to be “rewritten for accuracy.”
The school board told The Epoch Times that the matter is under investigation and “this individual will not be at the school.” However, the board spokesperson declined to comment further, saying the board “cannot comment further publicly on this confidential human resource matter.” The school board shared a message that the director of education had written on Oct. 17 titled “Addressing Antisemitism and Islamophobia.”
“Given current events, we recognize that members of our communities who identify as Jewish, Muslim, Israeli and Palestinian may be grieving, and continue to be particularly vulnerable to incidents of hate,” Rashmi Swarup wrote. “Together, we will remain vigilant in the use of our existing reporting structures to address any incidents that may arise.”
Since the outbreak of the Israel-Hamas war, there’s been increased instances of violence against the Jewish community in Canada, with various acts of violence and vandalism occurring. Ontario Education Minister Stephen Leece also commented on the case of the principal, calling the situation an “appalling lack of judgment.” The Centre for Israel and Jewish Affairs (CIJA) also responded to the post, criticizing school officials for their handling of the situation.
The Ontario government announced it would be expanding Holocaust training as part of the Grade 10 history course. The updated material will start in September 2025 and will link antisemitism with “extreme political ideologies,” the release said. It will also look at the “contemporary impacts of rising antisemitism.” The war between Israel and Hamas started after Hamas terrorists launched a rocket attack on Oct. 7 against Israel, as well as ground operations targeting civilians in Israeli towns close to the Gaza border.