Last updated on May 14th, 2024 at 08:56 am
A 16-year-old student, Malachy O’Kane, was suspended from Granite Ridge Education Centre in Sharbot Lake, Ontario, for wearing a sweatshirt that claimed, “There are only two genders.” The school accused Malachy of hate speech and suspended him for six days beginning April 19, 2024. His younger brother Desmond and other students joined him in protest, wearing signs or writing the sentence on their hands. Some of these students were threatened with or given suspensions.
According to the O’Kane family, the school displays ideological messaging, including LGBT and Black Lives Matter images. Despite this, Malachy’s shirt was considered unacceptable. The vice-principal advised Malachy’s mother, Kate O’Kane, to call the school board or remove her son from the school. She picked up her children, barring Desmond who wanted to finish a school project.
In an alarming twist, a teacher at the school reported the O’Kane family to the Children’s Aid Society (CAS) claiming Desmond was in danger. The CAS conducted a home visit and found the children were safe and had a good home life.
Following Malachy’s long-term suspension, the school proposed enrolling him in a learning program in Kingston, which his mother rejected, fearing it was an attempt to “reeducate” him.