Teacher says Indigenous teen in Montreal held in windowless basement over COVID-19 concerns – APTN
May 31, 2021
A child welfare agency in Montreal is drawing fire after an Indigenous teen was allegedly forced to self-isolate in a windowless, basement room for several days.
The agency, however, insists they were just following COVID-19 protocol.
For legal reasons, APTN News can’t name the youth or his teacher, who is advocating on their behalf.
“Here he is, not knowing any better – been in the care of [youth protection] his whole life,” the teacher explained. “And here he is, just thinking this is the way things are. It’s just normal to him.”
“It’s not normal. It’s sickening.”
According to a press release issued by the Montreal Indigenous Community Network (MICN), on Tuesday May 25, a 16-year-old Indigenous youth under the care of Batshaw Youth and Family Services was “mistakenly sent to school in spite of the previous night’s news reporting that schools would be closed.
The school wasn’t closed because of COVID-19 – it was closed because of a problem with a local bridge that leads it.
