This text is a translation of an article from CTV News.
A video of the incident was posted on TikTok showing five junior high students — from École Secondaire des Chutes in Rawdon — as they stand on chairs, surrounded by other students, and the song Erika plays. on Youtube. The song was composed in the 1930s and was often performed for German troops during World War II.
“I did not believe what I saw […] It’s shocking to see something like this,” said the mother of the student who recorded the event.
The student and her mother spoke to CTV News on the condition that they not be identified for fear of reprisals from others.
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“It was even more shocking to see the teacher just walking around in the video, not challenging the youngsters in any way.”
In the 10-second video clip, a female teacher can be seen at the front of the class. The short video clip does not show the teacher interacting with students who salute and put their fingers to their faces to mimic a Hitler mustache.
The video has been removed from TikTok, according to the student who posted it. CTV News viewed a copy of the video.
The student explained that his teacher was absent for medical reasons and that a substitute teacher was in charge of the class on the day of the incident.
“She always has a duty to keep the class under control and she failed,” the mother said. “It was a very specific and hateful display and she didn’t do anything so, to me, it was very shocking.”
“The teacher really did nothing to stop the situation,” the student said, adding that a resource teacher only came into the classroom to complain about the noise.
“Most of the boys give Nazi salutes and sing the Erika song. And since there are two pianos at school, some children even play the melody on the piano,” said the student.
The mother calls out the teacher and the school for their lack of judgment.
“It wasn’t like it happened at lunch outside. Someone told the teacher she was there and saw him. It shouldn’t be up to me to say that at school. She saw, she was there,” she said.
Still more education to do…
CTV News has contacted the Samares School Service Center, which oversees the school, to address concerns raised by the family.
In an email, a spokesperson said they “deplore” the incident depicted in the video.
“As soon as the administration was informed last week, necessary measures were quickly taken with the pupils and the substitute teacher. Awareness has already been carried out with the group in order to make them understand the content of the gesture and its meaning, ”continues the press release, without specifying what measures have been taken.
The Montreal-based Genocide Education Foundation says incidents like this are not that uncommon.
Last year in Toronto, a local school board reported three cases of anti-Semitism in one month, including two Grade 6 students who gave a Nazi salute to their Jewish teacher.
“They (students) don’t understand why it’s hateful and what these gestures mean. Education is definitely lacking,” said the foundation’s communications director, Marcy Bruck.
The fact that the incident in Montreal happened in front of a female teacher was particularly “shameful”, she said.
“It could have been a teachable moment for the professor if he had been willing to ask why are you doing this?” adds Mrs. Bruck. “Unfortunately, many teachers aren’t even aware of the gesture and if they are, they don’t know how to deal with it.”
With information from Rob Lurie of CTV News Montreal.
