Legault vows to clean up Montreal’s Bedford school, reinforce secularism rules

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QUEBEC — Premier François Legault says he is shocked and very disturbed that a group of teachers is alleged to have attempted to introduce Islamic religious concepts into a public school in Montreal.

He has asked two cabinet ministers, Education Minister Bernard Drainville and the minister responsible for laicity, Jean-François Roberge, to look into ways to reinforce controls and secularism in schools to avoid future incidents that he says are “devastating for children.”

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In a strongly worded statement issued Tuesday, Legault broke his silence on the controversy at Montreal’s Bedford school following the publication of a government report that found a “dominant clan” of teachers had created a toxic environment, imposing strict rules on students and intimidating anyone who opposed them. Eleven teachers at the school have been suspended.

“Like many of you, I was very shocked at what happened at Bedford school,” Legault said. “That someone tried to introduce religious concepts in a public school, that we refused to use science to help children, that the teachers formed a clan and threatened other teachers in a public school in Quebec in 2024, is beyond comprehension.

“Our first concern is for the children. As a government, our first responsibility is to clean up this school to protect the children.

“We need all Quebecers to denounce such situations without fearing intimidators. All of Quebec must defend the secular choices of our public institutions. Do not be afraid.”

Legault’s comments come two days after Drainville indicated he did not see any need to reopen Quebec’s state secularism law, Bill 21 to reinforce the rules. Bill 21 bars people in positions of authority, such as teachers, from wearing religious symbols on the job.

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It is less specific about the situation at Bedford. The Centre de services scolaire de Montréal Saturday suspended with pay 11 teachers pending the results of a further investigation into the allegations.

Drainville has also defended the government’s handling of the Bedford situation and refused to call on the head of the service centre to step down.

But on Monday, Parti Québécois leader Paul St-Pierre Plamondon accused people involved in the controversy, from the school level to the government, of shying away from the issue out of fear of being labelled racist.

He called on the Legault government to reinforce the rules of secularism.

“We must also have a wider reflection to avoid other equally shocking situations which are devastating for the children,” Legault wrote, adding he has asked Drainville and Roberge to see what can be done to reinforce secularism controls.

“We have to take the time to examine all the options,” Legault said.

“But there is something very disturbing in this affair; it is this attempt of a group of teachers to introduce Islamic religious concepts in a public school. In Quebec, we decided long ago to remove religion from public schools.

“We will not accept to go back in time.”

pauthier@postmedia.com

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