'I was gaslit continuously': Alexandra Lulka Rotman speaks out about her antisemitism battle with Toronto's school board

In December 2021, at a Toronto District School Board meeting, Alexandra Lulka Rotman made a rare public statement after being accused by the TDSB of breaking their code of conduct. The story began in May, 2021, when a pro-Palestinian TDSB staff member sent out teaching materials that linked to sources supporting anti-Israel terrorist activities, including suicide bombings. Lulka Rotman subsequently spoke out against those materials—and wound up the subject of an internal TDSB report labelling her Islamophobic, and suggesting she be censured.

Since then, that TDSB meeting in December was the only time she spoke openly about the fiasco. The trustees voted in her favour, deciding not to censure her. But the ordeal has weighed heavily on her since then, to the point that she hasn't felt comfortable talking about it—until now.

In her first-ever media interview, Lulka Rotman joins The CJN Daily to describe what the last year has been like for her, how antisemitism is seeping into classrooms and why, despite all of this, she's decided to run for re-election.

What we talked about:

• Listen to _The CJN Daily_ episode on Lulka Rotman's case from December 2021
• Read "Montreal’s deteriorating YM-YWHA building gets pledged $7.9M in federal funding"
• How to subscribe to _The CJN Daily_

Credits

The CJN Daily is written and hosted by Ellin Bessner (@ebessner on Twitter). Zachary Kauffman is the producer. Michael Fraiman is the executive producer. Production assistance by Gabrielle Nadler and YuZhu Mou. Our theme music is by Dov Beck-Levine. Our title sponsor is Metropia. We're a member of The CJN Podcast Network. To learn how to support the show by subscribing to this podcast, please watch this video.