Catholic board apologizes to First Nation students

Two students from Fort William First Nation are speaking out about remarks made after the fire on the swing bridge.

The comments were not made online but, rather, at their school.

Michael Johnstone and Parker Crews were sitting with friends in the lunch room at Pope John Paul the Second school in Thunder Bay.

They were talking about some beef jerky they'd bought, when a staff member made a comment.

"She's like, Oh, did you get that before or after you burned the bridge down?' Michael said.

At first, the 13-year-old boys didn't know what to make of it.

"We talked to a couple of my friends about it and they said that it was definitely rude and we should go talk to somebody about it."

The boys confided in a school counsellor, who told them she would deal with it.

No 'malicious' intent

Later the staff member came to talk to them.

"She just told us that she was sorry, but she was just joking around, but she wanted to get to know us better, Michael said.

Parker added,She said that she wasn't trying to be malicious."

But that's not good enough for their parents.

They say they're alarmed an educator would think it's OK to make that kind of a joke.

"I was really, really upset, angry and hurt that she would say that to my son, said Shannon Crews, mother of one of the children.

Nevertheless, the parents are proud of their boys for speaking up and say they hope other kids do the same when they hear hurtful comments.

The Catholic District School Board sent officials to Fort WilliamFirst Nation to apologize to the students and their families.

In a statement given to CBC News, the Board also saidit's planning what it calls "further restorative measures" at the school.