Parents decry ‘unchecked racism’ at city schools

The recent attack on a Brandon high school student was not an isolated incident but rather “the boiling point of unchecked racism” that Nigerian students in the city have been silently enduring, a spokesman for a local Nigerian group told school trustees this week.

More than 20 concerned parents, many dressed in black, joined representatives of the United Nigerians in Brandon Association at Monday’s Brandon School Division board meeting to share their concerns about safety and racism in local schools.

The emotionally charged meeting followed the recent attack, described last week by Brandon’s police chief as racially motivated, on Chinonso Onuke, a Nigerian-Canadian Grade 10 student at École secondaire Neelin High School.

“Many Nigerian families in Brandon no longer feel safe,” Ade Adeyemi told the board. “We don’t feel safe sending our children to school, and many of our children no longer feel safe … because of the colour of their skin.

“We are here not to blame, but to urge this board to protect and partner with us,” he said.

Adeyemi shared findings from the group’s preliminary survey of the city’s Nigerian community. Of 50 responses received within 24 hours, he said, 43 per cent reported experiencing racial discrimination, while half of the parents said they had raised concerns with schools only to see no change.

“The data also showed that students in Grades 5 through 8 are especially vulnerable,” Adeyemi said.

The most common issues reported were racial slurs, verbal abuse, exclusion, and in some cases, physical violence, he said, adding schools identified with the highest number of reported incidents were Neelin, École New Era, Waverly Park, Maryland Park and George Fitton.

UNBA laid out two key areas of concern — protection and partnership.

“We request that the school division publicly release the findings of any recent or ongoing safety audits at Neelin High School or provide a clear timeline for the completion of these reports,” Adeyemi said.

“Also, we urge the division to clarify how racially motivated incidents are currently handled in schools. Specifically, we ask for transparency on how staff are trained to identify and respond to these incidents … and how families are informed and included in the followup process.”

Another urgent appeal was for the creation of culturally safe spaces within schools.

“These would serve as dedicated areas where racialized students can access support from personnel trained in trauma, identity, and the unique challenges faced by marginalized communities.”

Another recommendation was the installation of metal detectors integrated into automated access systems at school entry points. “These are meant not as a punitive measure but as a proactive one to ensure safer school environments.”

Beyond immediate security, the group urged a long-term commitment to accountability and inclusion.

“Any student involved in violent or racially motivated incidents should be suspended while a full and fair investigation is conducted,” Adeyemi said. “We also ask for the inclusion of a Black or African parent, or a UNBA representative, on both school-level and division-wide safety committees, because such representation would help surface lived experiences often left out of policy-making.”

To build trust, the group called for monthly updates from the division tracking progress on school safety, responsiveness and student well-being.

Following the presentation, board chair Linda Ross expressed her gratitude and sorrow to the group.

“We share your horror and heartbreak,” she said.

Trustee Calistus Ekenna, who is a member of the Nigerian community, questioned the group’s spokesperson about the statement that the Neelin attack was not isolated.

Adeyemi responded that their recent survey confirms many Nigerian families have long-standing concerns about discrimination in Brandon schools and feel that their complaints have often gone unaddressed.

Trustee Breanna Sieklicki made an emotional statement of solidarity.

“When I heard of the attack, it was very sad, and it breaks my heart to know that anybody is treated differently because of the colour of their skin or any other reason,” she said.

“Everybody deserves dignity and respect, and I look forward to when we as a board can discuss this and move forward. This is supposed to be a kind of time of joy, and when people are going from one grade to the next grade, it has put many people in fear because of that incident … because nobody should have to feel scared to go to school.”

Ekenna spoke of the distress of children in the community who have begun asking if being Black is a crime.

“I don’t have an answer for them,” he said. “It’s heartbreaking to see kids afraid to go to school, the very place where they should feel safest.”

Ross assured the group that the board is concerned about the issues they raised at the meeting.

“I know the school year is ending this week, but ensure that if there are children who need support, they should still reach out to the school division,” she told the group. “It doesn’t matter that it’s summer — if children need support, we want to make sure that that’s available. I know this isn’t easy, it is not easy for every one of us.”

Adeyemi said the Nigerian community is only looking for solutions.

“Let Brandon be known not for what happened, but for how we responded,” he said. “Let this be the turning point.”

BSD Supt. Mathew Gustafson told the Sun Tuesday that the division is open to investigating any unresolved racial and security concerns.

He said families should first contact school principals, and if issues remain, escalate them to the superintendent’s office.

“We take these allegations extremely seriously,” Gustafson said. “Our values are directly opposed to any form of discrimination, and we are committed to creating a safe and inclusive environment for every student.”

On the allegations of racial abuse raised at Monday’s meeting, he said, “We obviously take those extremely seriously. We also know that this takes a continued and concerted effort on the part of the division to be able to ensure that we have a school environment where everybody feels safe and accepted, and that’s ongoing work. We never want anyone to not feel that sense of belonging in our buildings.”

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