We are the parents of a Deaf child who is suffering from severe harm as a result of negligence and mistreatment at one of the Ontario Schools for the Deaf. Our multiply disabled child was declared medically unfit to return to school by her neurologist almost three years ago as a result of this mistreatment, she has not been able to return since. You can read hers and other stories at www.deaftrauma.com

Our daughter’s case is just one of what is estimated to be thousands of students claiming neglect, abuse, and assault in multiple class-action lawsuits against Ontario’s Deaf School Branch over the past ten years.

   “The solution has always been clear, appoint Trustees and enforce Online Incident Reporting like every other Ontario school, to keep Deaf school leaders accountable and Deaf children safe.”

There are two million hearing students in Ontario who are all protected from mistreatment at school via Elected Boards of Trustees and digital accountability for Incident Reporting. Incomprehensibly, Ontario’s Deaf students are not, and this has resulted in devastating harm to many Deaf Canadians. Our daughters story proves that nothing has changed.

Equal protection must happen now to keep our most vulnerable Deaf youth safe, and stop the culture of neglect within the Provincial and Demonstrations School Branch.

    “There is absolutely no reason for Deaf children to fear their safety at school!”

The Deaf leaders of this Province are on standby to provide insight and candidates to form an interim board of trustees over the Ontario Deaf schools. Minister Lecce, you have no excuses for delays.

Why a Provincial Board of Trustees and not a Municipal Board like all the other schools?

Because there are not necessarily enough ASL (American Sign Language) fluent, Deaf culturally aware individuals in the region of these schools. Furthermore, most of the students attending are bussed in either daily or weekly in a residential program from other regions all over the province.

What Online Incident Report mandate was issued by the Ministry of Education?

SB06, a memorandum which required all schools in Ontario to adopt an Online Incident Reporting system by the start of the 2018/19 school year. Every school in Ontario followed this mandate, every school except the schools within Ontario’s Deaf School Branch.

Please sign this petition to end Deaf School Negligence.