Quebec education minister demands answers after father attacks student for allegedly bullying son
Posted February 14, 2024 2:40 pm.
Quebec Education Minister Bernard Drainville is demanding answers from the Centre de services scolaires (CSS) des Samares two days after a father physically attacked a 13-year-old student who was allegedly bullying his son.
The assault, which was captured on video, took place on Monday at the Pierre-de-Lestage High School in Berthierville, Que., TVA Nouvelles reported.
The father has been arrested and is facing charges.
On Wednesday, Drainville said he was “disturbed” that a parent decided to take the law into his own hands.
He said he asked the CSS to provide him with a “complete picture, as precise as possible” of the sequence of events.
“If the CSS needs help to manage this school, the government will be there to support it, in particular by giving it additional resources,” the minister said, adding that there is “zero tolerance” for violence and bullying.
“We cannot accept this kind of event, nor can we accept students being intimidated or committing acts of violence against other students,” Drainville said during a scrum at the National Assembly Wednesday.
He points out that since 2006, every school has been required to have an anti-violence and anti-bullying plan.
“We are in the process of checking with the CSS (whether) the anti-violence and anti-bullying plan for that school has been implemented,” Drainville said.
–This report by La Presse Canadienne was translated by CityNews
