PICKERING, Ont. — Police east of Toronto say they’ve expanded an investigation centred on a high school where a Black student’s yearbook entry was replaced with a racial slur.
Durham Regional Police say nine other students have come forward since the original complaint was filed alleging their profiles were also tampered with.
Investigators say they interviewed faculty and students at St. Mary Catholic Secondary School this week to determine who was responsible for the racist yearbook entry.
A quote provided by Joshua Telemaque honouring his late grandmother was allegedly altered to contain a racist slur.
A flood of public and celebrity support has poured in for Telemaque in the days since the alteration came to light.
Police now say their investigation includes the nine new complaints, only one of which involves alleged racism.
Police said one female student was criticized for body image and another for his grades. The nine new students who came forward were a mix of male and female students from different cultural backgrounds, they added.
Word of the altered entries prompted the school to recall the published yearbooks.
The Durham Catholic District School Board apologized this week to those impacted by the comments allegedly inserted into Telemaque’s entry and the broader Black community served by the board.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Oct. 17, 2020.
The Canadian Press
