The Newfoundland and Labrador English School District is accepting all findings from a Human Rights Tribunal report into discrimination against a deaf student.
NLESD is apologizing and taking full responsibility for systemic issues and missed opportunities faced by Carter Churchill during his time at Beachy Cove Elementary.
Interim Superintendent Terry Hall says staff at the school were at no fault and the issues are due to the lack of resources available across the district—therefore there will be no disciplinary action taken.
He says staff were only able to work with the resources they were provided at the time, but understands and accepts the adjudicator’s claims that the school board missed the mark in the case of Carter Churchill.
When asked why it took years for the district to recognize any wrongdoing, Hall says they were not ignoring the concerns and were working to make classrooms more inclusive.
Hall says going forward, every effort will be made to ensure students are given a fair chance at an education.
He says they’re committed to making sure every child has the appropriate supports in place to help them learn. While he can’t say there will never be another incident similar to the Churchill case, every effort will be made to prevent any discriminatory case in the future.
