Photo by Stephanie Gunther
The story of Emil Cohen, the Northern Secondary (Toronto) student was suspended for publically criticising his school's athletic program, has likely outlived its mainstream media cycle. The news broke, media outlets wagged their finger at the school, the school reacted defensively and then Cohen and his supporters held the required public rally to bring more attention to the subject.
Dutifully that rally was reported on and now the traditional media waits for the next Emil Cohen to emerge. The story of soccer at Northern and an athletic program that seemingly didn't deem it necessary to support all of its student-athletes equally will not likely be talked about again.
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On a basic level Cohen's efforts were successful. He got his media face time and got to tell his story to a much larger audience that a speech at the athletic awards banquet ever would have. The question, however, is whether his actual message -- that high school sports resources should be shared fairly and equally between all student-athletes -- was heard. Canadian Soccer News has a request in to speak with Cohen. We’ll update this story with his thoughts on that if we can touch base.
The "news hook" that caused this story to take off was one of free speech -- how can you suspend a student for speaking his mind. A fair question and worthwhile discussion (especially when the student did so as articulately and, under the circumstances, respectfully as Cohen did), but not necessarily the one that Cohen wanted asked.
Cohen's question isn't as sexy as free speech debates. A rally for equal funding for sports teams in high school sports would not have likely drawn as big a crowd. It certainly would not have attracted hoards of media. That's too bad because it's a worthwhile discussion.
Make no mistake, the root of everything in the Cohen case is about fairness in sport allocation. It's a battle between the mainstream of high school sports -- football -- and the fringe -- in this case soccer, but this is a situation that could have just as easily emerged in any sport that wasn't football or hockey.
Northern Secondary School is, as much as any Canadian high school can be, a football power. The Red Knights have won two Metro Bowls, the biggest prize that an Ontario high school football team can win. The team routinely plays its home games in front of, well, a couple hundred people. If they are lucky. Toronto isn't Texas. Bluntly put high school football doesn't matter here (outside of, of course, those that are involved).
Yet the cliché of the football player as king of the school lives on. Although many schools have moved away from expensive football programs in recent years (rugby is often taken the place of disbanded football programs), there remains an aura of teenaged coolness associated with playing football.
It's a power dynamic that is often reinforced by school officials. Classes aren't let out early to watch a soccer game. It's still pretty common for a school to let the kids out to cheer on the football team to glory (until the second half starts and they can go to the mall without getting in trouble). The message is clear: we support our athletes, especially those athletes.
At the rally Friday, the hierarchy of sports was clearly on display. While Cohen addressed his supporters a "counter rally" formed across the street, on Northern Secondary School property. Based on reports we've received, I hesitate to call it a rally. Rather, it was a mob of, according to most witnesses , mostly football players there to boo and heckle Cohen and those at the rally.
Photographer Stephanie Gunther attended the rally. She says she was "quite shocked by what I witnessed at Northern."
According to Gunther, those protesting the protest threw Clementines and water bottles into the protest. They did so while constantly heckling Cohen.
"They also kept up taunts such as 'loser' and 'you don't even play a real sport' throughout the duration of
the protest," Gunther says. She says that this behaviour was done in front of several adults that appeared to be teachers at the school.
A video of the incident can be viewed on my Facebook page (I'm working on getting in embedded here, but in the meantime you can watch the video on my wall - I will accept any friend requests today).
In the comments to the video a poster who identified himself as Emil Cohen seemed to back-up Gunther's claim.
"The hecklers were brilliant. Attacking old woman, throwing oranges and water bottles at a peaceful protest, swearing at a CBC reporter -- all of which is acceptable in the eyes of Northern secondary. Apparently free speech is not," posted Emil Snodgrass Cohen Saturday.
I've reached out to the Toronto School Board and to the school board trustee that governs Northern for comment. As of 11:30 a.m. Monday I have yet to hear back, but will update if I do.
Trustee Shelley Laskin included her efforts at expanded funding for anti-bullying programs front and centre on the profile of her Web site. (Edit:Laskin responded by thanking CSN for "bringing these serious questions to (her) attention," but deferred comment to the superintendent.)
According to the Toronto District School Board bullying is:
The actions that were alleged to have occurred at the "counter protest" would seem to qualify as "persistent and aggressive behaviour that is directed at an individual or individuals that is intended to cause (or should be known to cause) fear and distress" to those at the Cohen rally....a form of repeated, persistent and aggressive behaviour that is directed at an individual or individuals that is intended to cause (or should be known to cause) fear and distress and/or harm to another person’s body, feelings, self-esteem, or reputation. Bullying occurs in a context where there is a real or perceived power imbalance.
According to TDSB documents:
The question, then, is why does it appear to have been accepted in this case?Bullying shall not be accepted on school property, at school-related activities, on school buses, or in any other circumstances where engaging in bullying will have a negative impact on the school climate.