Demanding the Immediate Removal of Nigel Barriffe
Letter campaign demanding the immediate removal and license revocation of Nigel Barriffe from his positions as a TDSB teacher, ETT union leader, and CAHN board member. The campaign cites professional misconduct, social media activity targeting Jewish educators, and the promotion of hostile rhetoric.
Le courriel
Objet: Demanding the Immediate Removal of Nigel Barriffe
To: Ontario College of Teachers (Registrar & Discipline Committee), Elementary Teachers of Toronto (ETT) (Executive & Membership), Canadian Anti-Hate Network (CAHN) (Sue Gardner, Chair; Evan Balgord, Executive Director)
SUBJECT: Open Letter Demanding the Immediate Removal of Nigel Barriffe as a Licensed Educator, Union Leader, and Board Member
We are writing to publicly demand immediate accountability and action regarding the documented conduct of Nigel Barriffe. As a licensed Toronto District School Board (TDSB) elementary teacher, President/Vice-President of the Elementary Teachers of Toronto (ETT), and a sitting Board Member of the Canadian Anti-Hate Network (CAHN), Mr. Barriffe holds positions of public trust, authority, and influence over young minds.
Rather than upholding safety, equity, and inclusion, Mr. Barriffe has repeatedly engaged in and amplified behavior that targets, hostilely marginalizes, and belittles Jewish educators, students, and community members.
October 4, 2026: Mr. Barriffe posted an inflammatory, hateful message on his personal Facebook page containing profane four-letter epithets directed at equity-seeking Jewish teachers attempting to assert their legal rights under the Ontario Human Rights Code.
Dismissal of Parliamentary Hearings on Antisemitism: Mr. Barriffe reshared content labeling parliamentary hearings on antisemitism and Islamophobia at the House Justice Committee as "sham hearings," actively dismissing systemic concerns regarding Jewish safety.
Liking and Promoting Vandalism/Threatening Rhetoric: Mr. Barriffe liked and promoted posts depicting political offices defaced with messages such as "RAFAH is BURNING TORONTO WILL TOO", endorsing rhetoric that incites hostility and unrest.
Student Coercion Allegations: Under Bariffe's leadership, students were taken to a geopolitically-charged protest under the guise of a field trip. Concerns were raised after students were allegedly directed to participate in political chants that were described as hateful and antisemitic, raising severe questions regarding professional ethics and student safety.
Solidarity Statements: Mr. Barriffe and ETT leadership issued official statements and social media posts endorsing university campus encampments. During these encampments, rhetoric, signs, and chants created environments where Jewish students were unsafe and targeted. Promoting these settings sends a message that hostile behavior against Jewish community members is permissible under the guise of political advocacy.
1. To the Ontario College of Teachers (OCT): Discipline and License Revocation
Swiftly adjudicate the formal professional misconduct complaint filed on October 5, 2026.
Investigate Mr. Barriffe’s conduct both inside the classroom (including student involvement in political demonstrations) and outside the classroom (social media activity and endorsement of hostile environments).
We demand the immediate suspension or revocation of his teaching license.
2. To the Elementary Teachers of Toronto (ETT): Immediate Removal from Union Leadership
ETT represents over 11,000 elementary teachers, making it the largest teachers' local in Canada.
As a union officer, Mr. Barriffe is duty-bound to represent all members—including Jewish teachers—with fairness, empathy, and impartiality.
Instead, he has singled out Jewish members for ridicule and contempt for asserting their human rights. We demand his immediate removal from his executive post within ETT.
3. To the Canadian Anti-Hate Network (CAHN): Immediate Dismissal from Board of Directors
CAHN has received significant federal funding (including $440,000 in December 2023 and $200,000 in April 2024) to combat hate in all its forms.
Maintaining a board member who actively participates in, likes, and re-posts content targeting the Jewish community undermines CAHN's core mandate and creates an unacceptable double standard.
We demand Mr. Barriffe’s immediate dismissal from the CAHN Board of Directors. Otherwise, CAHN risks its public funding and credibility by harbouring the very hostility it purports to oppose.
An educator and public leader who fosters hostility against a protected group under the Ontario Human Rights Code cannot remain in positions of authority over teachers, students, or anti-hate initiatives. We urge the OCT, ETT, and CAHN to act immediately to fulfill their regulatory, legal, and moral duties.
To: Ontario College of Teachers (Registrar & Discipline Committee), Elementary Teachers of Toronto (ETT) (Executive & Membership), Canadian Anti-Hate Network (CAHN) (Sue Gardner, Chair; Evan Balgord, Executive Director)
SUBJECT: Open Letter Demanding the Immediate Removal of Nigel Barriffe as a Licensed Educator, Union Leader, and Board Member
We are writing to publicly demand immediate accountability and action regarding the documented conduct of Nigel Barriffe. As a licensed Toronto District School Board (TDSB) elementary teacher, President/Vice-President of the Elementary Teachers of Toronto (ETT), and a sitting Board Member of the Canadian Anti-Hate Network (CAHN), Mr. Barriffe holds positions of public trust, authority, and influence over young minds.
Rather than upholding safety, equity, and inclusion, Mr. Barriffe has repeatedly engaged in and amplified behavior that targets, hostilely marginalizes, and belittles Jewish educators, students, and community members.
October 4, 2026: Mr. Barriffe posted an inflammatory, hateful message on his personal Facebook page containing profane four-letter epithets directed at equity-seeking Jewish teachers attempting to assert their legal rights under the Ontario Human Rights Code.
Dismissal of Parliamentary Hearings on Antisemitism: Mr. Barriffe reshared content labeling parliamentary hearings on antisemitism and Islamophobia at the House Justice Committee as "sham hearings," actively dismissing systemic concerns regarding Jewish safety.
Liking and Promoting Vandalism/Threatening Rhetoric: Mr. Barriffe liked and promoted posts depicting political offices defaced with messages such as "RAFAH is BURNING TORONTO WILL TOO", endorsing rhetoric that incites hostility and unrest.
Student Coercion Allegations: Under Bariffe's leadership, students were taken to a geopolitically-charged protest under the guise of a field trip. Concerns were raised after students were allegedly directed to participate in political chants that were described as hateful and antisemitic, raising severe questions regarding professional ethics and student safety.
Solidarity Statements: Mr. Barriffe and ETT leadership issued official statements and social media posts endorsing university campus encampments. During these encampments, rhetoric, signs, and chants created environments where Jewish students were unsafe and targeted. Promoting these settings sends a message that hostile behavior against Jewish community members is permissible under the guise of political advocacy.
1. To the Ontario College of Teachers (OCT): Discipline and License Revocation
Swiftly adjudicate the formal professional misconduct complaint filed on October 5, 2026.
Investigate Mr. Barriffe’s conduct both inside the classroom (including student involvement in political demonstrations) and outside the classroom (social media activity and endorsement of hostile environments).
We demand the immediate suspension or revocation of his teaching license.
2. To the Elementary Teachers of Toronto (ETT): Immediate Removal from Union Leadership
ETT represents over 11,000 elementary teachers, making it the largest teachers' local in Canada.
As a union officer, Mr. Barriffe is duty-bound to represent all members—including Jewish teachers—with fairness, empathy, and impartiality.
Instead, he has singled out Jewish members for ridicule and contempt for asserting their human rights. We demand his immediate removal from his executive post within ETT.
3. To the Canadian Anti-Hate Network (CAHN): Immediate Dismissal from Board of Directors
CAHN has received significant federal funding (including $440,000 in December 2023 and $200,000 in April 2024) to combat hate in all its forms.
Maintaining a board member who actively participates in, likes, and re-posts content targeting the Jewish community undermines CAHN's core mandate and creates an unacceptable double standard.
We demand Mr. Barriffe’s immediate dismissal from the CAHN Board of Directors. Otherwise, CAHN risks its public funding and credibility by harbouring the very hostility it purports to oppose.
An educator and public leader who fosters hostility against a protected group under the Ontario Human Rights Code cannot remain in positions of authority over teachers, students, or anti-hate initiatives. We urge the OCT, ETT, and CAHN to act immediately to fulfill their regulatory, legal, and moral duties.
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