Students at York Memorial Collegiate Institute are victims of criminal neglect, racial violence, and police intimidation as a direct cause of the lack of action the TDSB has taken.

York Memorial CI and George Harvey CI were forced into a school merger in September 2022. Since the beginning of September there has been a lack of leadership, and action from the TDSB to reallocate resources, support students learning, and their safety within the school.

To name a few of the incidents that have occurred in recent weeks: 

Tuesday, November 15 at 2:15pm York Memorial Collegiate Insitute went into a lockdown, inviting police into the school who we're carrying rifles. 
Allegations of students being lined up by a vice principal and searched by the police who were holding guns to their faces.

• Youth were in emotional distress after the lockdown, shaking, and crying, vocalizing how seeing multiple police with guns in their school was traumatic. 
• The TDSB fails to understand the needs of their students, and fails to protect them against police violence and intimidation. 

Since early October, 14 teachers have been on a work-refusal. 

• This has resulted in students not having teachers. 
  Students are sent to the cafeteria and are not given learning materials or course work.
• Students are falling behind in their grades, and are feeling unprepared for post-secondary school. 

Since the beginning of September, students have reported an increase in racial abuse, and over-policing.

• Students are required to wear name tags across their neck (not all students have name tags) and are penalized for not wearing them.
  There has been an increase in asinine suspensions. There has been more suspension this semester then both York Memorial Collegiate Institute and George Harvey Collegiate Institution had combined last year.
  
  
  

STUDENTS ARE DEMANDING THE FOLLOWING: 

1. CONDUCT AN INQUEST INTO SYSTEMS ABUSE AT YORK MEMORIAL 
   1. INCREASE IN REPORTS OF RACIST TEACHERS
   2. INCREASE IN SUSPENSION & EXPULSION
   3. INCREASE IN POLICE PRESENCE
   4. INCREASE IN REPORTS OF SYSTEMS ABUSE
   5. DECREASE IN STUDENT MOTIVATION
   6. DECREASE IN ATTENDANCE 
      
      
2. ALLOCATE MORE RESOURCES TO OUR SCHOOL 
   1. OUR SCHOOL DOES NOT HAVE BASIC HUMAN NECISSITIES (TIOLET PAPER/SOAP/WATER/A/C/GARBAGES)
   2. NO TEACHERS IN CLASSES
   3. NO FINANCIAL RESOURCES FOR TRIPS, CLUBS, EVENTS.
   4. NO OPPORTUNITIES: NO LEADERSHIP DEVELOPMENT, NO PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT, NO LEARNING
      
      
3. NO POLICE PRESENCE!!! 
   1. INCREASE IN POLICE PRESENCE SURVEILLING STUDENTS OUTSIDE OF SCHOOL
   2. INCREASE IN CALLS MADE TO POLICE TO INTIMIDATE STUDENTS
   3. POLICE TRAUMATIZING STUDENTS CARRYING LARGE ASSAULT RIFLES IN SCHOOLS
      ALLEGATIONS OF POLICE POINTING GUNS AT STUDENTS AND LINING THEM UP ON WALLS TO BE SEARCHED 
      
      
4. TDSB IMPLEMENT A PUBLIC SCHOOL - STUDENT UNION
   
   1. TEACHERS ARE PROTECTED BY EMPLOYMENT LAWS, AND A UNION! LEAVING YOUTH UNPROTECTED TO HAVE THEIR HUMAN RIGHTS VIOLATED BY PEOPLE IN POSITIONS OF POWER.
   2. STUDENTS NEED A UNION OF ADVOCATES WHO WILL ACTIVELY PROTECT THEIR RIGHTS, LISTEN TO THEIR CONCERNS, AND FOLLOW THROUGH WITH DEMANDS. STUDENTS NEED TO BE HEARD & RESPECTED! 
      
      
5. LISTEN TO STUDENTS & ACT ON OUR NEEDS 
   
   1. BOTH YORK MEMORIAL AND GEORGE HARVEY WERE CONSULTATED ABOUT THE MERGER AND MADE IT CLEAR THEY DID NOT WANT IT.
   2. STUDENTS AT YORK MEMORIAL ARE EXPERIENCING ECONOMIC, SOCIAL, AND RACIAL BARRIERS THAT THE TDSB HAS THE RESOURCES TO ADDRESS.