Updated: Following a strongly negative public reaction to his statements yesterday, it appears the Education Minister is backing off. Adam Shostack kindly pointed out that CBC now reports:
Bolduc said Wednesday the government has asked an independent person from outside the school board to look into what happened.
Once the review is complete, Bolduc said he would decide, “based on the facts, what should be done in the future.”
Original story:
Steve Rukavina reports:
Quebec Education Minister Yves Bolduc says high school staff are permitted to strip-search students, as long as it’s done “in a respectful fashion.”
Bolduc’s comments Tuesday follow a report in the Journal de Montréal newspaper, saying that a 15-year-old female student at the Neufchatel High School in Quebec City was strip-searched last week after school officials suspected she was selling drugs.
The girl told the newspaper that the female school principal and a female staff member took her to a room in the school and asked her to remove all her clothing, including her underwear. The female staff member held a blanket in front of the student while the principal searched her clothes.
In a news release, the De la Capitale School Board did not dispute that version of events.
The board said school officials have a responsibility to ensure a safe and healthy environment.
Read more on CBC News.
Thanks to Joe Cadillic for this link.