Shelburne high school shifts to remote learning amid 'racially motivated' incident
Shelburne high school shifts to remote learning amid 'racially motivated' incident
High school students with Centre Dufferin District High School (CDDHS) in Shelburne shifted to remote learning on Friday amid "recent tensions."
Heather Loney, with the Upper Grand District School Board (UGDSB), told CTV News a racially-charged fight broke out between students on school property on Monday and was "precipitated by the use of anti-Black racist language."
"There is no place for hate and racism at CDDHS," Principal Adam Rowden wrote in a message posted on the school's website following the incident.
Loney said staff received information about a "potential general threat involving our school" on Thursday, indicating it would be carried out on Friday.
"We immediately reported this to police, who began investigating."
The school's website noted the investigation had not "substantiated any potential threat."
Mayor Wade Mills issued a statement saying council is "troubled" by the recent reports from the high school.
Mills said the situation was being handled as an internal school matter with ongoing investigations.
"Regardless of what the investigations conclude, let us state unequivocally that there is no place for racism or violence of any kind in our schools. These institutions must be safe, inclusive and positive places for all students and staff, and we all have a part to play in ensuring that," the mayor added.
With Friday being the last instruction day for students, Loney said, "being aware of the emotional toll and concerns students have about the events of this past week, we made the decision to deliver classes remotely."
Next week, students will attend exams as scheduled.
"However, we have notified all families that should any student feel they need an extension or an alternate time to write their exams, they may make those arrangements," Loney added.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
About 4,000 beagles destined for drug experiments finding new homes
About 4,000 beagles are looking for homes after animal rescue organizations started removing them from a Virginia facility that bred them to be sold to laboratories for drug experiments.

Anne Heche taken off life support, 9 days after car crash
Anne Heche, the Emmy-winning film and television actor whose dramatic Hollywood rise in the 1990s and accomplished career contrasted with personal chapters of turmoil, died of injuries from a fiery car crash. She was 53.
Brothers dead after SUV crashes into North Carolina restaurant, police say
A sport utility vehicle crashed into a North Carolina fast-food restaurant on Sunday, killing two sibling customers, police said.
Weapon in deadly 'Rust' film set shooting could not be fired without pulling the trigger, FBI forensic testing finds
FBI testing of the gun used in the fatal shooting on the movie set of 'Rust' found that the weapon handled by actor Alec Baldwin could not be fired without pulling the trigger while the gun was cocked, according to a newly released forensics report.
U.S. man allegedly drives into fundraiser crowd before killing mother
Pennsylvania state police say a man who was upset about an argument with his mother drove through a crowd at a fundraiser for victims of a recent deadly house fire, killing one person at the event and injuring 17 others, then returned home and beat his mother to death.
Warming climate could see a future California flood become the world's costliest disaster, study suggests
A new study is offering a dire prediction for the U.S. state of California, where scientists say catastrophic flooding could become twice as likely in the future due to the effects of climate change.
Testosterone promotes both aggression and 'cuddling' in gerbils, study finds
A recent study on rodents has found testosterone, despite being commonly associated with aggression, can also foster friendly behaviours in males.
Republicans demand to see affidavit that justified FBI search of Trump's home
Republicans stepped up calls on Sunday for the release of an FBI affidavit showing the underlying justification for its seizure of documents at former President Donald Trump's Mar-a-Lago home.
Norway puts down Freya the walrus that drew Oslo crowds
Authorities in Norway said Sunday they have euthanized a walrus that had drawn crowds of spectators in the Oslo Fjord after concluding that it posed a risk to humans.