A mother in Steinbach is demanding answers and action after her son had his hair pulled out, suffered a concussion, facial wounds and lost a tooth in an assault at a southeastern Manitoba school last week.
Melissa Johnson says her son, Theo Osborne, 11, was the target of racially motivated bullying and assault at Stonybrook Middle School in Steinbach last Wednesday.
The boy was the target of racial slurs regarding his Indigenous identity, his mother said.
“Theo told me that one boy approached him first and was telling him to cut his hair, it’s disgusting, saying ‘I bet your parents do effed up rituals at night because your people are so disgusting,” Johnson said Tuesday.
Theo’s hair is an important part of his identity, Johnson said. About four years ago, Johnson’s father asked her and her daughters to grow their hair out until he passed away.
Theo wanted to grow his hair out for his grandfather as well.
Theo’s hair was forcibly pulled during the assault. (Submitted by Melissa Johnson)
“He does take pride in it,” Johnson said. “He takes pride in his culture. He dances, he sings, he’s just really proud to be Indigenous.”
It’s heartbreaking his identity has been used against him, she said.
Theo had told Johnson he was being bullied by two boys in December. Johnson says the bullying picked up again after the winter break.
Johnson, who has lived in Steinbach for the past seven years, contacted the principal of Stonybrook Middle School and Theo’s teachers to address the bullying, but she says it continued to get worse.
Johnson was devastated when she found out what happened.
“I just cried because I felt so bad that he did everything right,” Johnson said, adding she was at work at the time. “He told me ahead of time, he told the teachers and it just didn’t really seem to help him in the end.”
Theo and his sisters, Talise, 15, rear, and Taaviah, six. (Submitted by Melissa Johnson)
Theo is shy, but a good brother and helps his grandfather, Johnson said, adding he plays multiple sports and finds ways to get involved in his community,.
However, she says, he has been anxious since the attack.
In an email statement, an RCMP spokesperson confirmed the Steinbach detachment received a report Friday afternoon about an incident earlier in the week involving two students.
Melissa Johnson, Theo’s mom, reported the incident to police. She wants Theo to be able to continue going to school without fear. (Jura McIlraith)
The 11-year-olds were involved in a physical confrontation and there were several witnesses, the statement said.
Due to the ages of those involved, RCMP can’t lay charges. The Youth Criminal Justice Act applies to youth age 12 to 17.
“The detachment will be speaking to the affected parties and will assist in any mediation if required or requested,” the spokesperson said.
In a statement, Hanover School Division said they are aware of the incident that happened over the lunch hour.
The reports are deeply upsetting to students, family and the wider community, the statement said.
“Every student deserves to feel safe, respected, and supported at school,” the school division’s statement said.
“We want to state clearly that violence, racism, and discrimination have no place in our schools.”
Mino Odewin, an Indigenous cultural group, alleged on Facebook that the boy endured “racially targeted bullying and assault.”
Mino Odewin, an Indigenous cultural group, is calling on Hanover School Division to conduct a formal investigation into the assault on Theo Osborne at at Stonybrook Middle School. (Jura McIlraith/CBC)
“This is not a minor disciplinary issue,” the news release said. “This is a serious act of violence compounded by racism.”
Mino Odewin is calling on Hanover School Division to conduct a formal investigation into the assault and have a safety plan in place for Theo, who is from Pimicikimak Cree Nation.
They’re also asking for a review of lunch-hour supervision policies and for the family to be kept informed of further disciplinary measures and next steps.
Bambi Dawn, the communications facilitator for Mino Odewin, says she and Johnson are friends after they met while both living in Gillam. Dawn says the assault was “violent and very scary” for Theo.
Bambi Dawn says she wants to help Melissa Johnson in finding answers and getting action after Johnson’s son Theo Osborne was assaulted at school. (Jura McIlraith/CBC)
Dawn and Johnson had a meeting scheduled with the school for Tuesday evening.
“We wanted to be able to come alongside this family to offer our support,” Dawn said. “We want to ensure that every child can feel safe at school.”
Dawn hopes to see better education on Indigenous cultures in schools.
Melissa Johnson says her son Theo Osborne is proud of his Indigenous culture. He loves to dance, sing and play sports, she says. (Melissa Johnson)
The school division said administration immediately responded to what happened and took appropriate steps in line with division policy.
The matter is under review, including a review of lunch-hour supervision practices, the statement said.
The division declined to share further information to protect the privacy of students involved.
Mino Odewin’s statement said the incident raises serious questions about whether Indigenous students are properly protected and respected within the division’s schools.
Johnson feels there’s a lack of understanding about Indigenous cultures, something she hopes the school division can remedy through education.
“If more people come to our gatherings, they would see how amazing, beautiful and resilient our culture is,” Johnson said. “If more people were open to learning, it would just change the whole perspective on Indigenous people altogether.”
