A former teacher has been asked by the Abbotsford School District to change the location of his book launch, which was set to take place outside WJ Mouat High School on Friday afternoon.Officials told Jim McMurtry that the event was "intimidating" indigenous students, given that his book, The Scarlet Lesson, goes against the prevailing narrative on residential schools in Canada.His contention is that indigenous students were not killed, but instead died from diseases. He has also countered the claim that mass graves have been found at the sites of former schools.."It has come to the attention of the Abbotsford Board of Education that you are intending a 'book launch' for your book 'The Scarlet Lesson' and you are advertising that you will be holding this event at 'MJ Mouat Highschool' [sic] on Friday May 30, 2025 from 1-3 p.m.," the District wrote in a letter to McMurtry. "The purpose of this letter is to remind you of the provisions of the Safe Access to Schools Act to ensure that you are aware of the acceptable locations for your activity in relation to the WJ Mouat School site.".The District went on to remind McMurtry that per the Act, one cannot, among other things, "intimidate or attempt to intimidate a person or otherwise do or say anything that could reasonably be expected to cause concern for a person's physical or mental safety" in the school access zone."Your planned activity may not occur within the access zone for WJ Mouat School," the District declared. "Given the stated subject matter of your planned event, it falls within what is understood to be a 'protest,' and is having an intimidating effect and causing concern for our indigenous students' mental safety.A map was enclosed informing McMurtry where he could and could not hold his event.In a post on X, he accused the District of having double standard, pointing out that "they happily made non-Indigenous kids cry over pretend teacher-murdered students.".McMurtry has not backed down, vowing to go on with the event regardless of what the District says. "After getting a threatening letter from [Abbotsford School District] — saying I'm harming Indigenous kids by selling my book outside my school today — I've decided to put my orange shirt back on," he wrote in a post on X taking aim at his former employer. "Find a body or give me my job back.".McMURTRY: Orange is the new black.After forty years in the education system, McMurtry was fired following his refusal to accept the school district's official genocide narrative. Since then, he has been an outspoken advocate for finding the truth.
