Peterborough, Ont., mayor prompts backlash for using n-word during guest lecture at Trent University

Sarah Petz · CBC News

· Posted: Apr 11, 2025 11:03 AM EDT | Last Updated: 8 minutes ago

Trent University's undergraduate students national is asking the schoolhouse not to invitation Peterborough Mayor Jeff Leal backmost to field aft helium utilized the n-word portion speaking to a people past month. 

The incidental happened connected March 19, erstwhile Leal attended a Trent concern people arsenic a impermanent lecturer, according to a connection from the Trent Central Student Association. 

"Furthermore, helium expressed racist sentiments that demeaned some the Black and Mexican communities," the connection says. 

"The City of Peterborough should clasp its politician to a higher standard."

The students national says it has filed a ailment with the city's integrity commissioner implicit the incident and plans to big a sit-in astatine metropolis hallway connected April 28. 

"We impulse Peterborough residents to see the values of the radical representing them," says the statement, which is dated April 9. 

"Individuals who dispersed hatred bash not merit to clasp governmental power."

The national is besides calling connected the assemblage to guarantee impermanent speakers are decently screened, including having their contented reviewed earlier it's presented to students, and that they person anti-racism, diversity, equity and inclusion training.

Mayor apologizes for 'deeply offensive' language

Leal apologized for the remark successful a connection posted to the city's website Tuesday, wherever helium said helium was quoting a humanities remark attributed to erstwhile U.S. President Lyndon B. Johnson from the 1930s. 

"In doing so, the punctuation that I utilized included a radical slur that is profoundly violative and hurtful," Teal said. 

"Regardless of the discourse oregon intent, utilizing that connection was wrong. I admit the symptom it carries and the work I person to talk with attraction and respect."

In its ain connection published Tuesday, Trent University thanked students who came guardant to explicit their concerns, adding that it is unacceptable to usage racist connection "regardless of context." 

"We apologize for the harm this caused to our students and admit that words (racial slurs) tin person lasting impacts connected racialized students," the connection says. 

The assemblage says it volition widen its equity, diversity, inclusion and anti-Black racism grooming to invited speakers "in an effort to guarantee that specified an occurrence is not repeated."