KnowYourVote Toronto

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Robert Pella

Bullying and discrimination are concerns raised in many school communities. What role do you believe a School Board Trustee should play in addressing these issues, and what actions would you support?

As a Catholic, I believe every student is made in the image of God and deserves a safe, respectful learning environment. I support zero tolerance for bullying, strong accountability, clear reporting procedures, and proactive strategies rooted in Christian values of respect and kindness.

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Jennifer Di Francesco

Bullying and discrimination are concerns raised in many school communities. What role do you believe a School Board Trustee should play in addressing these issues, and what actions would you support?

As a mother, I want every child to walk into school feeling safe, respected and included and every parent to know concerns will be taken seriously. Trustees must demand clear policies, consistent enforcement and accountability when the system falls short. I would support prevention, staff training, prompt reporting and follow-up, and meaningful help for affected students. Families must be heard without fear of dismissal or retaliation.

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Stephanie Loor Ruiz

Bullying and discrimination are concerns raised in many school communities. What role do you believe a School Board Trustee should play in addressing these issues, and what actions would you support?

Growing up in YSW and being part of ESP and R.I.S.E, I learned how vital it is for trustees to be involved when schools address bullying and discrimination. Trustees should help start these conversations, act as liaisons for parents and students, and facilitate meetings to keep neutrality. I support clear protocols that ensure students are heard, incidents are reported, investigated, and resolved so victims feel safe trusting adults again.

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Rosanna Araujo

Bullying and discrimination are concerns raised in many school communities. What role do you believe a School Board Trustee should play in addressing these issues, and what actions would you support?

As a Food Bank and Case Manager, I've seen how discrimination and systemic barriers impact families. I believe Trustees must champion safer, inclusive schools where every student feels valued. I would advocate for stronger anti-bullying policies, transparent reporting, mental health supports, and equity training for all administration and staff. Most importantly, I would ensure students and families are heard, supported, and included in decisions. Every child deserves to learn in an environment rooted in dignity, respect, and belonging.

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Teresa Colonna

Bullying and discrimination are concerns raised in many school communities. What role do you believe a School Board Trustee should play in addressing these issues, and what actions would you support?

As a trustee, I would advocate for stronger bullying and discrimination policies, accountability and prompt action. Too often, children being bullied go unheard. We must address their concerns before harm escalates and show them their voice matters that caring Catholic adults are listening. Both families must be involved. I support meaningful consequences that consider age and developmental abilities, with support to change behaviour. Catholic values demand dignity, respect and safe schools for every child.

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Paul Salvatori

Bullying and discrimination are concerns raised in many school communities. What role do you believe a School Board Trustee should play in addressing these issues, and what actions would you support?

I believe a School Board Trustee, in keeping with key Christian principles of responsibility and care, should do their utmost to ensure that bullying and discrimination have no place in school communities. Where it occurs, they should ensure that those who engage in it are held accountable. I also believe such behaviour can arise from unresolved conflict and hidden pain. As Trustee, I would work to identify that pain and help students heal, without minimizing the impact of their behaviour.

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Anton Perera

Bullying and discrimination are concerns raised in many school communities. What role do you believe a School Board Trustee should play in addressing these issues, and what actions would you support?

Work shops must be conducted for teachers and staff with the involvement of a professional counsellor with experience in this matter on how to address class room bullying and discrimination. Then teachers themselves can teach students with regard to a code of conduct in and out of the class room setting clear expectations. Teach social and emotional skills to students. Following the teaching of Lord Jesus Christ teach students to love one another regardless of their race and social background. From time to time conduct surveys among students

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Nancy Crawford

Bullying and discrimination are concerns raised in many school communities. What role do you believe a School Board Trustee should play in addressing these issues, and what actions would you support?

The role I can play is to support and encourage Administration and Teachers to take effective actions to work with students to prevent bullying and to work with students who act in a bullying manner and those who are affected by bullying. Effective programs and regular training are essential. More funding and more trained staff are needed.

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Markus de Domenico

Bullying and discrimination are concerns raised in many school communities. What role do you believe a School Board Trustee should play in addressing these issues, and what actions would you support?

All students have a right to attend our schools without fear of bullying or harassment. At TCDSB, I moved motions to expand our Board wide Code of Conduct so that it aligned with the Ontario Human Rights Code and I was a leader in the movement to acknowledge Pride Month, fly the Pride flag at all schools and admin buildings and provide resources to educators in support of our acceptance of all students and staff. Students deserve a safe learning environment

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Sara Concordia

Bullying and discrimination are concerns raised in many school communities. What role do you believe a School Board Trustee should play in addressing these issues, and what actions would you support?

Every child deserves to feel safe, respected and included at school. Bullying and discrimination must always be taken seriously. A trustee’s role is to make sure the right policies, staff training and student supports are in place and to hold the school board accountable for enforcing those policies and protecting the student.

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Ida Li Preti

Bullying and discrimination are concerns raised in many school communities. What role do you believe a School Board Trustee should play in addressing these issues, and what actions would you support?

Bullying isn’t solved with slogans. When a family raises a concern, they deserve to be heard, kept informed and told what happens next. I helped shape TCDSB’s anti-bullying policy through the largest stakeholder outreach ever undertaken for a Board policy as a member of GAP. As trustee, I would push for the policy to be followed, teachers to have clear guidance and support, and concerns to receive prompt, fair follow-up that stops the harm. Students and staff deserve a safe, respectful school.

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Susel Munoz Plasencia

Bullying and discrimination are concerns raised in many school communities. What role do you believe a School Board Trustee should play in addressing these issues, and what actions would you support?

A trustee has a responsibility to make sure every student feels safe, respected, welcomed, and supported by their peers and teachers. I would support stronger prevention, early intervention, and clear accountability when bullying or discrimination occurs. This includes ensuring that the Board’s Anti-Black Racism and anti-discrimination policies are meaningfully implemented and consistently applied across our schools. We must also ensure that our schools are accessible, and inclusive to all .

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Frank D'Amico

Bullying and discrimination are concerns raised in many school communities. What role do you believe a School Board Trustee should play in addressing these issues, and what actions would you support?

All students deserve to feel safe at school, bullying and discrimination must be taken seriously, students and families should be confident that their concerns are being heard. Promote prevention measures, address concerns, maintain communication between families and schools administrators. Every student should be able to learn without the fear of being bullied.

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Marissa Largo

Bullying and discrimination are concerns raised in many school communities. What role do you believe a School Board Trustee should play in addressing these issues, and what actions would you support?

Every student deserves to feel safe, respected, and valued. As a Trustee, I would support strong anti-bullying policies, accountability, culturally responsive mental health supports, and initiatives that foster belonging. My commitment is informed by my service on the Filipino Advisory Committee and Special Committee on Race Relations, where I advocated for policies that enhanced fairness. As Catholics, morality includes justice and equity; as Pope Leo XIV reminds us, human dignity is a gift from God and must be upheld for all.

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Mary Cury Paul

Bullying and discrimination are concerns raised in many school communities. What role do you believe a School Board Trustee should play in addressing these issues, and what actions would you support?

Every student deserves to feel safe, respected, and included at school. As a mother and Trustee candidate, I support strong anti-bullying policies, prevention programs, staff training, and confidential reporting. Cyberbullying must be addressed seriously. We must also recognize that students who bully may be experiencing trauma or emotional difficulties. Mental health support must be a priority for both victims and those who cause harm. I will promote inclusive schools and collaboration between families, schools, and the Board.

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David Le

Bullying and discrimination are concerns raised in many school communities. What role do you believe a School Board Trustee should play in addressing these issues, and what actions would you support?

As School Board Trustees, we are responsible for establishing and enacting policies that ensure a safe learning environment for our children. Bullying affects us all: children, parents, teachers, and the community. If elected, I will work to expand efforts to end bullying and harassment in schools by reviewing our current strategy for addressing bullying and expanding our cyberbullying policies. Given advances in AI, bullying will likely evolve, and we should be ready.

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Jonathan Santos

Bullying and discrimination are concerns raised in many school communities. What role do you believe a School Board Trustee should play in addressing these issues, and what actions would you support?

Every student deserves to feel safe, respected and valued at school. I would work to ensure strong anti-bullying policies are not only in place, but working. That means clear reporting, timely follow-up, meaningful support for students and open communication with families. I would listen to students, parents and educators, examine the data and hold the Board accountable for creating safe, welcoming schools where every child can learn and thrive.

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Rosina Bonavota

Bullying and discrimination are concerns raised in many school communities. What role do you believe a School Board Trustee should play in addressing these issues, and what actions would you support?

A school board trustee should act as a governance and policy leader, ensuring robust anti-discrimination frameworks and holding the administration accountable for student safety. I would support clear, consistently enforced policies for reporting and responding to bullying and discrimination, along with prevention through staff training and mental health resources. I would also listen to students, families, and staff and use data to identify gaps, monitor outcomes, and ensure policies translate into meaningful action in schools.

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Matias de Dovitiis

Bullying and discrimination are concerns raised in many school communities. What role do you believe a School Board Trustee should play in addressing these issues, and what actions would you support?

I support a human-rights centred approach to bullying and discrimination. I have voted in support of implementing policies that strengthen actions by staff in our schools that protect our most vulnerable students. I also support the continued use of data collection on incidents of hate and racism in schools. We must do more work to ensure that this data is connected to meaningful actions so that every student and educator feels supported and feels belonging to a loving school community.

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Marisa Sterling

Bullying and discrimination are concerns raised in many school communities. What role do you believe a School Board Trustee should play in addressing these issues, and what actions would you support?

Bullying and discrimination have no place in our schools. I support strong education, starting early, as the best way to build caring students and families who understand and accept differences, balanced with clear and consistent discipline and accountability. Discipline alone does not address the underlying causes, and suspensions have an outsized negative impact on student outcomes. I support layering in local, culturally relevant context, mental health supports and improved community engagement and education.

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Karen Emerson

Bullying and discrimination are concerns raised in many school communities. What role do you believe a School Board Trustee should play in addressing these issues, and what actions would you support?

To reduce bullying and discrimination we need to properly fund school boards to staff for inclusion, keep class sizes small, and have enough staff and resources to meet the complex needs of students. The role of the Trustee is to support parents to navigate the system to find the resources they need, and to vote to ensure these resources are available. Sadly, Bill 101 has removed the democratically elected power of Trustees to vote for what their constituents need, and has reduced the number of Trustees who can support the needs of students.

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Azim Dewan

Bullying and discrimination are concerns raised in many school communities. What role do you believe a School Board Trustee should play in addressing these issues, and what actions would you support?

I believe a School Board Trustee can play an important role in reducing these issues by bringing parents, students & educators together.I would work to make school councils more connected with all parents and encourage families from different cultural backgrounds to participate and build a stronger, more inclusive school community.I would arrange regular meetings with parents, educators & students to listen to their concerns and bring these to the Board.I would also support stronger anti-bullying policies to ensure every student feels safe.

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Ahnaaf Hassan

Bullying and discrimination are concerns raised in many school communities. What role do you believe a School Board Trustee should play in addressing these issues, and what actions would you support?

Bullying and discrimination have no place in schools, but as a school board we need to equip our staff to handle these issues through staffing, resources, and training to properly understand cultural and religious views. By funding classrooms to have less students, more staff per student, and increased resources, we make sure teachers are able to properly take care of students and handle any issues that arrive before they snowball. As students learn this behaviour is not acceptable, we need to equip adults who teach it to them.

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Md Sazibul Islam

Bullying and discrimination are concerns raised in many school communities. What role do you believe a School Board Trustee should play in addressing these issues, and what actions would you support?

A trustee must help ensure that every student feels safe, respected and included. I would support stronger bullying-prevention education, confidential and accessible reporting systems, timely investigations, and meaningful follow-up with students and families. Schools should address all forms of discrimination consistently while providing mental-health support for those affected. I would also promote staff training, student leadership and regular reporting to ensure policies are producing real results.

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Jocelyne Poirier

Bullying and discrimination are concerns raised in many school communities. What role do you believe a School Board Trustee should play in addressing these issues, and what actions would you support?

Students deserve to feel safe, respected and able to learn. As trustee, I would advocate for addressing bullying, discrimination and other harmful behaviour early, with safe reporting and prompt, effective responses. Students harmed deserve caring support; those causing harm need fair, age-appropriate accountability and help to change their behaviour. Restorative approaches must protect students’ safety and dignity. I would listen to students, families and staff, and hold board leadership accountable for how concerns are addressed.

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Glenn Kremp

Bullying and discrimination are concerns raised in many school communities. What role do you believe a School Board Trustee should play in addressing these issues, and what actions would you support?

I would help bring in resources to address these issues, our teachers are already stretched thin, and even they can be the victim of bullying. I have worked with Brave Education which is a fabulous group that goes to schools and teaches prevention with talks designed for students and even for teachers.

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Ravicha Ravinthiran

Bullying and discrimination are concerns raised in many school communities. What role do you believe a School Board Trustee should play in addressing these issues, and what actions would you support?

Students should feel safe and supported at school, and parents should feel confident that concerns will actually be taken seriously. As trustee, I would push for clear ways to report bullying and discrimination, consistent follow-up and better communication with families. We should also take a proactive approach and focus on prevention by supporting mental health, positive school environments and the staff who support our students every day.

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Curtis Jack

Bullying and discrimination are concerns raised in many school communities. What role do you believe a School Board Trustee should play in addressing these issues, and what actions would you support?

The short answer is advocacy, transparency and communication. Bullying has always and will likely continue to be an unfortunate part of growing up and we should all be made aware of the tools at our disposal to address it when it rears its head. Ensuring that instances of bullying are surfaced with the right people, and communicating with the communities to make sure that they are aware of the support mechanisms in place at their disposal to address these instances when the do arise.

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Dameon Halstead

Bullying and discrimination are concerns raised in many school communities. What role do you believe a School Board Trustee should play in addressing these issues, and what actions would you support?

Every child deserves to feel safe, respected, and supported at school. As a Trustee, I would support clear and consistent procedures to prevent and respond to bullying and discrimination, with safe, simple, and accessible reporting, including confidential and online options. Concerns should lead to timely follow-up, support, and meaningful action. I would support staff training, track incidents and patterns, and promote prevention, restorative approaches, and appropriate consequences. Students and families must be heard and taken seriously.

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Angus Grant

Bullying and discrimination are concerns raised in many school communities. What role do you believe a School Board Trustee should play in addressing these issues, and what actions would you support?

A trustee should help families know their school is a resource they can lean on when facing bullying or discrimination. No parent or child should feel alone. I'd push for clear, culturally relevant information on reporting concerns and getting help, in the languages and formats each community needs. I'd support sustained mentorship, programs that connect students to positive role models, mental health supports and social media education in every school, from elementary to high school, to prevent harm and respond early. Our kids deserve it.

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Abdul Azeem Mohammed

Bullying and discrimination are concerns raised in many school communities. What role do you believe a School Board Trustee should play in addressing these issues, and what actions would you support?

Bullying and discrimination have no place in our schools. As a trustee, I would support prevention, clear reporting, student support, and accountability. My experience as a school-council member, Co-Chair and Chair, along with four years representing parents through the TDSB Parent Advisory Council, has taught me the importance of listening to families. I will work to ensure concerns are taken seriously, policies are implemented consistently, and every student feels safe, respected, and included.

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Gary McBean

Bullying and discrimination are concerns raised in many school communities. What role do you believe a School Board Trustee should play in addressing these issues, and what actions would you support?

A School Board Trustee should make sure every student feels safe, respected, and included. My role is to listen to families, understand what is happening in our schools, and push the board to respond quickly and fairly. I would support clear anti bullying policies ( such as PPM144), stronger mental health support (PPS), and better training for staff so they can spot problems early. I would also work to make sure students from all backgrounds feel welcome, and that schools deal with discrimination seriously and consistently.

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Darren Frake

Bullying and discrimination are concerns raised in many school communities. What role do you believe a School Board Trustee should play in addressing these issues, and what actions would you support?

Every child deserves to feel safe and respected at school. As trustee, I will make sure anti-bullying rules are actually followed in hallways and online. I support teaching kids how to resolve conflicts and treat others with kindness, while keeping clear, firm consequences for hate and harassment. Parents also need a quick, easy way to report issues and see real action taken. We must focus on stopping bullying early before it hurts a child's learning or well being.

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Anu Sriskandarajah

Bullying and discrimination are concerns raised in many school communities. What role do you believe a School Board Trustee should play in addressing these issues, and what actions would you support?

Eight years as your Trustee, parents have reached out to me often to deal with serious cases of bullying and discrimination. I approached the role of Trustee as a frontline advocate, mediating between families and the school system when dealing with principals and superintendents, ensuring parent voices were heard and student safety was prioritized. Moving forward, I will continue managing the system for families by strengthening supportive reporting structures, expanding mental health resources, and fostering safe, inclusive classrooms

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Sherri Williams

Bullying and discrimination are concerns raised in many school communities. What role do you believe a School Board Trustee should play in addressing these issues, and what actions would you support?

As a mother of five who have all attended schools in this ward, I believe every child deserves to feel safe, respected and included. As trustee, I would advocate for clear reporting procedures, timely follow-up with families, staff training and support for affected students. I would listen to families and hold the board accountable for addressing bullying and discrimination.

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Aria Garcia

Bullying and discrimination are concerns raised in many school communities. What role do you believe a School Board Trustee should play in addressing these issues, and what actions would you support?

Public School Board Trustee should play as a Guidance Counsellor or Secretary in addressing issues about bullying by way of hitting weak students and racial discrimination who came from Europe. They should help students by nursing them by way of giving first aid who become victims of bully when they are hurt by big fat students and should be reported to the Toronto Police Service. Also, they should act as door keepers and keyholders to guard the buildings and remove those who sleep inside the school at night.

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Marcia Wilson

Bullying and discrimination are concerns raised in many school communities. What role do you believe a School Board Trustee should play in addressing these issues, and what actions would you support?

As a Trustee Bullying and Discrimination are a little more indirect and constrained because we are somewhat on the outside administratively looking in. A Trustee gets there consequentially. The harm has already been done. However, preemptively, there is an important role for a good Trustee to play. I would collaborate to bring organizational conduct and parental protection,find a degree of conformity.My action would be to incentivize children to cooperate not always compete.Harm is personal, resolution should be. No one size fits all solutions.

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Ketan Purohit

Bullying and discrimination are concerns raised in many school communities. What role do you believe a School Board Trustee should play in addressing these issues, and what actions would you support?

Every child deserves to feel safe, respected and included at school. As a Trustee, I would support strong bullying-prevention programs, prompt and consistent responses, clear reporting processes, and support for affected students and families. I would promote empathy, respect and conflict-resolution skills, train staff to recognize concerns early, and encourage safe reporting. I would encourage participation with parents and the community to stop bullying. Building a culture, training staff and community involvement will resolve this issue.

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Vimuththan Nantheeswarar

Bullying and discrimination are concerns raised in many school communities. What role do you believe a School Board Trustee should play in addressing these issues, and what actions would you support?

My priority is to create conditions for safe, inclusive, and respectful school climates. I would support policies and practices that address bullying and discrimination through prevention, relationship-building, and accountability, rather than relying solely on punitive responses. My priority would be strengthening student belonging, dignity, and voice by promoting approaches grounded in curiosity, listening, inclusion, and restorative problem-solving. When students feel seen, respected, and connected, schools become safer places for everyone.

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Matthew Zaffino

Bullying and discrimination are concerns raised in many school communities. What role do you believe a School Board Trustee should play in addressing these issues, and what actions would you support?

Trustees play a role in setting policy and upholding policy in the event of escalations. I am not aware of any issues with current policy at the policy level (I am open to being persuaded otherwise), but what is often happening is the current policies are going under-enforced due to staffing shortages, and in some cases, errors in judgement by staff and administrators. I would prioritize adequate staffing funding to ensure no under-enforcement due to a lack of manpower and would also demand that existing rules be enforced.

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Timothy Ellis

Bullying and discrimination are concerns raised in many school communities. What role do you believe a School Board Trustee should play in addressing these issues, and what actions would you support?

Trustees and all elected representatives first need to lead by example, treating each other and constituents with respect, dignity, and patience. I commit to this. In addition, I support policies to tackle systemic inequities and build a school culture that centers core Canadian values of inclusivity, kindness, and collaboration alongside world-class academic achievement. Finally, we must ensure that school staff have the time and resources to give students the attention and support they need.

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Ivan Voitsytskyi

Bullying and discrimination are concerns raised in many school communities. What role do you believe a School Board Trustee should play in addressing these issues, and what actions would you support?

A trustee should listen to parents and students, and make sure concerns are taken seriously. I would support clear anti-bullying rules, faster help when a child is being hurt, and better communication between families and the school. A trustee cannot run the classroom, but can ask the board to check if the process works and help families find the right person. Every student should feel safe at school.

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Alexis Dawson

Bullying and discrimination are concerns raised in many school communities. What role do you believe a School Board Trustee should play in addressing these issues, and what actions would you support?

As a trustee, I have taken a human-rights-focused approach to bullying and discrimination, working with students and families to ensure concerns are heard and addressed. I have brought forward motions to strengthen human rights work at the TDSB and support continued data collection on incidents of racism, bias and hate in schools. That data must lead to meaningful action and accountability, helping create schools where every child, staff member and family feels respected, supported and a true sense of belonging.

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Andrew Waters

Bullying and discrimination are concerns raised in many school communities. What role do you believe a School Board Trustee should play in addressing these issues, and what actions would you support?

Reported incidents of hate, bias & violence in TDSB schools have increased, & families deserve action. As trustee, I will push for early intervention, staff training, & clear ways to report bullying and discrimination. Families must know what happens next & how to escalate unresolved concerns. I will hold the Board staff accountable for timely responses, review incident data for recurring problems, & require public reporting on whether its actions are making schools safer. Every student deserves to feel safe, respected, & able to learn.

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Jennifer Webster

Bullying and discrimination are concerns raised in many school communities. What role do you believe a School Board Trustee should play in addressing these issues, and what actions would you support?

It’s naive of me as a white potential trustee to say I have any definitive answers to this question. The TDSB is currently being bullied by the provincial government. Discrimination is built into the school system, and recognizing that can help us set up better systems to help students. Bare minimum schools and school councils should be given resources to host anti-racism training, conflict resolution training and bystander intervention training on a yearly basis for all their communities. There is no quick fix solution to this question.

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Daniel Choi

Bullying and discrimination are concerns raised in many school communities. What role do you believe a School Board Trustee should play in addressing these issues, and what actions would you support?

Call me, and someone will actually follow up. Too many families report bullying and then hear nothing for weeks. I’ll find who holds your child’s file and stay on it until you get an answer in writing. I’ll also tell you honestly when it isn’t the answer you wanted. I was a peer supporter for two years. Mostly listening, then making sure the right person moved. Deciding discipline isn’t a trustee’s job. Making sure nobody gets ignored is. Two business days to reply, every time.

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Ivanna Andrusyak

Bullying and discrimination are concerns raised in many school communities. What role do you believe a School Board Trustee should play in addressing these issues, and what actions would you support?

I truly believe it takes a village to raise a child, and our schools and community are a big part of that village. Every child deserves to feel safe, respected and included at school. When racism or bullying happens, we need to listen, take it seriously and act. But we also need to focus on prevention. That means bringing parents, teachers, students and our community together. We need to teach kindness, respect and understanding from an early age. As a trustee, I want to listen to families, bring people together and make sure our schools are

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Anthony Delpero

Bullying and discrimination are concerns raised in many school communities. What role do you believe a School Board Trustee should play in addressing these issues, and what actions would you support?

No child should have to feel unsafe, isolated or targeted at school. I believe bullying requires a multi-pronged approach, including prevention, early intervention and accountability. One program I would like to bring back and promote is Olympic wrestling. Wrestling builds confidence, discipline, resilience, humility and respect for others. I have zero tolerance for bullying and will not turn a blind eye when a child needs to feel safe and supported.

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Andrew Massey

Bullying and discrimination are concerns raised in many school communities. What role do you believe a School Board Trustee should play in addressing these issues, and what actions would you support?

Trustees must address systemic discrimination with better policy. TDSB data show that Black and Middle Eastern students are punished with suspension far more than their peers. Good policy grows community and belonging. Students behave better when they feel seen, heard, and welcome. Punishment only pushes them away. I support implementing restorative practices (repairing the damage caused) through purposeful workshops, timely supports, positive incentives, and collective responsibility. We must help our kids look out for one another.

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Jared Kolb

Bullying and discrimination are concerns raised in many school communities. What role do you believe a School Board Trustee should play in addressing these issues, and what actions would you support?

Bullying and discrimination undermine student well-being and achievement. As Trustee, I would champion safe, inclusive schools where every student feels they belong. That means supporting strong prevention programs, ensuring incidents are addressed consistently and transparently, expanding mental health supports, and providing staff with the training and resources they need to respond effectively. I would also elevate student and parent voices to help build respectful school communities where all children can thrive.

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Theo Nazary

Bullying and discrimination are concerns raised in many school communities. What role do you believe a School Board Trustee should play in addressing these issues, and what actions would you support?

While bullying and discrimination have no place at the TDSB, unfortunately, it's a reality that we as parents have to confront from time to time. The most important factor with bullying and discrimination is that it has to be addressed right away. As Trustees, our role will be to rely on the Caring & Safe Schools framework to create the best policies to prevent, mitigate, and address these issues. Trustees need to foster an environment where everyone in our schools feels safe, accepted, and welcome.

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Andrene Gregory

Bullying and discrimination are concerns raised in many school communities. What role do you believe a School Board Trustee should play in addressing these issues, and what actions would you support?

My first responsibility would be to ensure that the safety compliance set out by the Education Act is followed. Bullying and discrimination cannot and should never be overlooked or minimized. Both can cause serious harm and fatality. But we have to care for all our students–both the perpetrators and victims. I would support safety first, then intervention and restoration followed by accountability and monitoring. A successful resolution is not necessarily discipline and punishment but the quality of care taken to ensure everyone’s well-being.

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Maureen Larkin

Bullying and discrimination are concerns raised in many school communities. What role do you believe a School Board Trustee should play in addressing these issues, and what actions would you support?

Bullying and discrimination have no place in our schools. My responsibility as Trustee will be to make sure that the TDSB's core policies on bullying and discrimination are actually working for students and families. That starts with listening. I will maintain a strong presence in Ward 5 school communities and work with parents and caregivers, educators, and Principals to identify how board policy can best support safer schools. I will also advocate for the provincial funding necessary to make safer and more inclusive schools possible.

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Elina Feyginberg

Bullying and discrimination are concerns raised in many school communities. What role do you believe a School Board Trustee should play in addressing these issues, and what actions would you support?

A school trustee should advocate for safety and well being of all students and for a learning environment free from bullying, discrimination and harassment. A school trustee should act as a liaison between parents/ guardians and school administrators to promote safe learning environment for all students free from bullying.

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Jennifer Volk

Bullying and discrimination are concerns raised in many school communities. What role do you believe a School Board Trustee should play in addressing these issues, and what actions would you support?

Bullying and discrimination have no place in our schools. Trustees must take a strong stand against both, by setting strong policy and ensuring it is followed. Resources need to be in place, for when incidents happen, and to prevent them from happening in the first place. Steps I will take are ensuring good data and transparency (climate surveys should be publicly reported), funding for prevention, ensuring there is real accountability with attention to response times and outcomes and of course, listening to those most affected.

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Stacey Cline

Bullying and discrimination are concerns raised in many school communities. What role do you believe a School Board Trustee should play in addressing these issues, and what actions would you support?

Trustees must listen to the concerns of parents and help them address issues through existing protocols. The Board has a Caring and Safe Schools Policy (P051) approved by the Board of Trustees and a Bullying Prevention and Intervention Procedure (PR703) that speaks to the responsibility of principals as leaders in their schools to help their communities understand that these policies exist and how the school will ensure it is a safe place for all students, staff and families.

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Sarah Smithies

Bullying and discrimination are concerns raised in many school communities. What role do you believe a School Board Trustee should play in addressing these issues, and what actions would you support?

I would prioritize safety, transparency and adherence to established board protocols, hold the board accountable for its own policies, and identify any existing gaps in the current frameworks and processes. Chronic funding gaps mean fewer crucial support staff, like guidance counselors and EAs. Class size and educator to student ratios need to come down, so that schools are safer and more equitable for all students. Policies and frameworks are not enough without the resources to fulfill them. Keep police officers out of our schools.

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Saherla Osman

Bullying and discrimination are concerns raised in many school communities. What role do you believe a School Board Trustee should play in addressing these issues, and what actions would you support?

A safe and inclusive school environment is essential for every student to thrive. As a Trustee, I would advocate for proactive approaches to bullying, discrimination, and identity-based harassment, with clear accountability and meaningful support. I would push for stronger implementation of TDSB policies, accessible reporting, timely follow-up, and culturally responsive, trauma-informed supports. I would also champion prevention through mental health resources and inclusive learning environments. Ensuring each student feels safe and supported.

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Adam Golding

Bullying and discrimination are concerns raised in many school communities. What role do you believe a School Board Trustee should play in addressing these issues, and what actions would you support?

I wrote about this last time in "Proxy Peace" on Substack, and this time voters wrote me first about antisemitism in schools. I've since attended the so-called antisemitism debate the mayor skipped, and pushed for inter-faith dialogue, both in the school board and in the broader community, in "What I told Toronto Faiths", also available on Substack. I've cited the known statistics that Blacks and Jews are the top two targets of hate in Toronto. Harsher disciplinary measures must coexist with dialogue--mere dialogue is victim-blaming.

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Tasha Kheiriddin

Bullying and discrimination are concerns raised in many school communities. What role do you believe a School Board Trustee should play in addressing these issues, and what actions would you support?

Every child deserves to feel safe and welcome at school. As trustee, I would advocate for policies that put victims first, while ensuring serious or repeated bullying, violence, hate-based attacks and discrimination have appropriate consequences. I support restorative approaches where they work, but compassion cannot mean an absence of accountability. I would back teachers and principals, strengthen prevention and ask that staff track repeat incidents to determine whether Board policies are actually keeping students safe.

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Axel Arvizu

Bullying and discrimination are concerns raised in many school communities. What role do you believe a School Board Trustee should play in addressing these issues, and what actions would you support?

Every student deserves to feel safe, respected and included at school. As a Trustee, I would support clear reporting processes, timely intervention and accountability when bullying or discrimination occurs. I would also advocate for staff training, stronger prevention programs, and meaningful student and parent input. My goal would be to ensure Board policies translate into action and that every school fosters a culture of respect, belonging and responsibility.

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Deborah Williams

Bullying and discrimination are concerns raised in many school communities. What role do you believe a School Board Trustee should play in addressing these issues, and what actions would you support?

Bullying, discrimination, and hate have no place in our schools. Trustees must ensure strong policies, accountability, and safe, respectful learning environments where every student feels valued and included. I support evidence-based prevention programs, staff training, student supports, clear reporting, and meaningful community engagement. In 2023, I helped advance TDSB’s Anti-Hate and Anti-Racism Strategy, strengthening efforts to combat hate and racism in all forms. Every student deserves to feel safe, valued, included, and able to thrive.

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Gladstone Cherrington

Bullying and discrimination are concerns raised in many school communities. What role do you believe a School Board Trustee should play in addressing these issues, and what actions would you support?

The School Trustee play a pivotal role in addressing bullying and discrimination in our Schools. We're here to listen to students, staff and parents. Every student and staff member deserves to feel safe at school, physically and emotionally. The school environment should be free of discrimination, physical harm, verbal, social and cyber bullying. I’ll investigate and respond to reports of bullying or discrimination that impact student safety. Supporting initiatives to strengthen belonging, to combat bullying and discrimination in the TDSB.

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Shaffni Nalir

Bullying and discrimination are concerns raised in many school communities. What role do you believe a School Board Trustee should play in addressing these issues, and what actions would you support?

Bullying can stay with a student long after the school day ends. Trauma that can grow and fester and cause harm. As trustee, I would focus on: Making sure students and parents know where to turn. Ensuring bullying and discrimination concerns are followed up on quickly and fairly. Supporting stronger mental-health and student-support services. Investing in prevention, not only reacting after something happens. Building school environments where students feel safe speaking up.

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Imran Khan

Bullying and discrimination are concerns raised in many school communities. What role do you believe a School Board Trustee should play in addressing these issues, and what actions would you support?

Thanks for this important question. I want to ask who has not been bullyied ? Almost everyone has been including myself and to stand up and make our Students brave - I would love to see sessions given to students about how to counter bullying ! It can come from any one : Teachers, Peers and Parents even ! Let us Give information to everyone and let them know : "We will not be Bullied at TDSB ! And TDSB Stands Up to Bullies"

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Farzana Rajwani

Bullying and discrimination are concerns raised in many school communities. What role do you believe a School Board Trustee should play in addressing these issues, and what actions would you support?

School Board Trustees set policy and ensure staff follow it. The Caring and Safe School Policy and Procedures must be clearly communicated to everyone. TDSB schools should be safe and welcoming for all. Trustees must make sure staff are accountable and that everyone knows how to report bullying or safety concerns. The Parent Concern Protocol and Student Safety Line support this. Trustees should review annual staff reports and recommend improvements as needed.

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Dewitt Lee III

Bullying and discrimination are concerns raised in many school communities. What role do you believe a School Board Trustee should play in addressing these issues, and what actions would you support?

Bullying and discrimination are distinct issues and should not be treated as the same. Both, however, can negatively affect students’ learning experiences and mental well-being. Both can occur between students or involve school staff & students, and neither can be tolerated. I plan to introduce Ruby Bridges Walk to School Day on Nov. 14th as an educational opportunity to teach students and teachers how to confront & overcome both bullying and racial discrimination. Ensuring heritage, cultural & community celebrations are maintained.

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Ibrahim Hatia

Bullying and discrimination are concerns raised in many school communities. What role do you believe a School Board Trustee should play in addressing these issues, and what actions would you support?

Every child in Don Valley East and West deserves to feel safe, accepted and proud of who they are at school. Our schools serve families with different languages, cultures and learning needs. I will push for reporting every parent can use, adults who act when children are hurt, and support that helps children rebuild their confidence. I will challenge bullying, racism and discrimination, and press for stronger supervision and action on every report. Your child deserves to walk into school ready to learn, make friends and believe in their future.

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Sonny Yeung

Bullying and discrimination are concerns raised in many school communities. What role do you believe a School Board Trustee should play in addressing these issues, and what actions would you support?

Update Board Policies! When I was a child I was bullied called a "chink" my feelings were hurt but I was stubborn and thought "I will show you" I was on the honour roll and got to go to a University of my choice. I would try to de-escalate the situation and if necessary call the police. The worst case scenario is Tumbler Ridge; where they had to demolish the school. Chat GPT has given advice on suicide and how to shoot up a school and the Board will try to develop a policy dealing with Big Tech and AI.

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Bill Wu

Bullying and discrimination are concerns raised in many school communities. What role do you believe a School Board Trustee should play in addressing these issues, and what actions would you support?

A trustee should make sure every student is treated with dignity and has a safe place to learn. I would support clear reporting procedures timely responses and regular communication with families. I would also encourage prevention through respectful school cultures education and support for students who experience bullying or discrimination. The Board should track patterns across schools share what works and ensure staff have the training and resources to act early and fairly.

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Carey De Pass

Bullying and discrimination are concerns raised in many school communities. What role do you believe a School Board Trustee should play in addressing these issues, and what actions would you support?

The TDSD has studied the policy and have implemented protocols and regulations. TDSB staff are given training. The TDSB has a dedicated webpage to bullying which includes an online student portal for students to report incidents of bullying and a parent protocol as to who to report it to: 1/ Staff 2/ Principal and 3/School Superintendent. I think there should be a fourth option. A last step could be to to report an event be an elected trustee. Surely trustees can review such incidents with a school superintendent if all other routes fail.

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Christopher Mammoliti

Bullying and discrimination are concerns raised in many school communities. What role do you believe a School Board Trustee should play in addressing these issues, and what actions would you support?

Bullying and discrimination have no place in our schools or communities. Trustees are public voices, and we must strive to ensure our learning spaces and school environments are positive places where diverse friendships can form and students can spend time together. Proper resources are critical to success. For example, the larger the classroom sizes are allowed to get, the harder it is to maintain healthy learning environments. Advocacy for healthy school resources is one way we can use our roles to help combat bullying and discrimination.

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