Some students at the local English public school board believe the University of Windsor has not done enough to deal with racism, sexism, and homophobia on campus.
With most of them looking forward to college or university, students across the Greater Essex County District School Board are hoping that when their college days begin, they can learn in a safe environment that is open to everyone. With that, two Grade 12 students have circulated a petition urging U of W to take additional action toward achieving that goal.
The petition is in response to news that members of an unsanctioned U of W fraternity, Delta Chi, had for several years posted damaging texts and videos attacking people of colour, those of the Jewish faith, and the LGBTQ+ community. While the university has condemned the situation and promised a full investigation, some GECDSB students say it's not enough.
Hima Patel, from Leamington District Secondary School, and Wade Masse of Walkerville Collegiate in Windsor, are behind a petition drive that has generated 300 digital signatures so far from classmates. Patel told BlackburnNewsWindsor.com she was sickened by the situation and was disappointed in how U of W handled it.
"I wouldn't say that the responses to it are necessarily that good," said Patel. "I've never found many universities react well to scandals because obviously, they're trying to protect their reputations, but it's always nice to see them take an extra step and try to fix themselves."
The open letter asks U of W to expel all the students involved with the hurtful posts and ban them from campus, initiate an Ontario Human Rights Commission inquiry, and apologize to students of Black and South Asian descent, those with disabilities, Jewish students, and those in the LGBTQ+ community.
The open letter being signed by GECDSB students and sent to the University of Windsor. Image courtesy Hima Patel.
When asked why so many high school students are concerned about an incident at the university level, Patel said at least 120 people who signed the petition, herself included, wish to attend U of W, and are concerned about safety and inclusion once they get there.
"In high school, we're all going to eventually graduate," said Patel. "A lot of us are going to go have to go to a university, and considering that this is a local university, we are in a region where we send most of our students off to the University of Windsor."
The petition drive, which is currently open only to GECDSB students, is a student-run initiative that is not affiliated with the public board or any of its schools.
University of Windsor President Robert Gordon said last week that several legal experts have been brought in to conduct a thorough investigation into the Delta Chi affair.
"Their investigation will work to verify the highly inappropriate messages and actions and confirm any violations of the University’s code of conduct. Its purview will extend to making any recommendations of disciplinary action," said Gordon in a statement.
Gordon also thanked the U of W community for the action already taken to address racism, anti-Semitism, and homophobia on campus.