A Winnipeg high school teacher who posted controversial remarks on Facebook about First Nations people is now on leave.
The Winnipeg School Division confirmed to CBC News on Thursday that Brad Badiuk, an electronics teacher at Kelvin High School, has been placed on administrative leave.
Some of the comments made by Badiuk concern aboriginal people generally. Others targeted Derek Nepinak, the grand chief of the Assembly of Manitoba Chiefs (AMC).
Kevin Hart, who works with the Assembly of Manitoba Chiefs, lodged a formal complaint about Kelvin High School teacher Brad Badiuk’s comments about aboriginal people.
Grand Chief of the Assembly of Manitoba Chiefs Derek Nepinak, who is the subject of some of the controversial postings by Kelvin High School teacher Brad Badiuk, called the comments racist and said they were of particular concern since they were coming from a teacher. (CBC)
The controversy started when another teacher posted an article on her Facebook page about John Ralston Saul’s book, The Comeback, which contends that repairing the relationship between First Nations peoples and the rest of Canada is a pressing issue.
In response, Badiuk put these posts (taken verbatim) on Facebook, “Oh Goddd how long are aboriginal people going to use what happened as a crutch to suck more money out of Canadians?
“The benefits the aboriginals enjoy from the white man/europeans far outweigh any wrong doings that were done to a concured people.”
Another line read, “Get to work, tear the treaties and shut the FK up already. My ancestor migrated here early 1900’s they didn’t do anything. Why am I on the hook for their cultural support?”
In some of his posts, Badiuk took aim at Nepinak.
“He wears feathers on his head and calls himself the Grand Chief. You see he had an idea. Indians have no money. You have money. So he could get his hands on your money, that would solve the problem of indians without money,” the comments read.
Kevin Hart, who works with the AMC, complained to the school board about the comments, calling them racist and hurtful, and demanding action be taken.
“It just shows that we have so much more to go, that even a teacher that works in a school division, we [even] have to educate those people,” he said. “I think it’s worse, especially when we have educators … leading and teaching the young minds of this country.”
Mark Wasyliw, chair of the board of the Winnipeg School Division, said an investigation into Brad Badiuk’s Facebook postings about aboriginal people is underway. (CBC)
Nepinak was blunt in his response.
“If racists are going to come forward like that and make comments like that, but yet are still tasked with teaching our young people, then we got a responsibility to stand in the way of that.”
Nepinak said he believes the relationship between the aboriginal community and others still requires work.
“I come from a humble place, a respectful place to recognize that there’s a lot of people suffering from ignorance,” he said.
CBC’s attempts to reach Badiuk for comment were unsuccessful.
School officials could not say how long the investigation would take or whether Badiuk might face discipline.
“It’s obviously really disheartening,” said Mark Wasyliw, chair of the board of the Winnipeg School Division.
“We are a very diverse school division. We have a huge population of aboriginal students and these types of allegations are always concerning and demoralizing for staff.”
