Luc Cagadoc

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Luc Cagadoc is a Canadian resident, born circa 1999. When he was 7 years old, he became the centre of a controversy in his home town of Roxboro, Quebec, Canada. In April 2006, he was disciplined at his primary school, allegedly for "disgusting" and "piggish" eating habits appropriate to his Filipino ethnicity: using a fork to push his food onto a spoon before eating it. Commentators saw it as a regrettable example of prejudice and culture clash between minority and nativist elements.

Luc's mother, Maria Theresa Gallardo Cagadoc, alleged that she learned he had been punished up to 10 times by a lunchroom monitor, by being made to eat alone at a separate table. She said a lunch room monitor told her Luc "ate like a pig."

The school board in question countered that Luc was punished only for disruptive behavior. Gallardo pursued a formal apology from the school principal, Normand Bergeron, for remarks made by him about the case; she complained to the Quebec Human Rights Commission.

Gallardo, who in 1999 came to the Montreal area from the Philippines, reported a telephone conversation with the principal. “He said, ‘Madame, you are in Canada. Here in Canada you should eat the way Canadians eat.’"

According to the West Island Chronicle newspaper, "When [Gallardo] questioned Bergeron about punishing students for their table habits, she says he replied that, 'If your son eats like a pig he has to go to another table because this is the way we do it and how we’re going to do it every time.'"

In a Chronicle article, Bergeron expanded on his comments. He claimed that Luc is sometimes disruptive, and that was the reason for his being disciplined, not his fork and spoon habits.

“[In my conversation with Gallardo] I said, ‘Here, this is not the manner in which we eat.’

“I don’t necessarily want students to eat with one hand or with only one instrument, I want them to eat intelligently at the table ... I want them to eat correctly with respect for others who are eating with them. That’s all I ask. Personally, I don’t have any problems with it, but it is not the way you see people eat every day. I have never seen somebody eat with a spoon and a fork at the same time.”

Later reporting alleged that Luc was warned that he was tardy at the table, and so he reverted to the spoon-feeding method to save time. Luc said that he was separated from his lunchmates any time he ate that way.

Bergeron was subsequently restrained from speaking on the issue by the school board, in favor of their spokespersons. The Commission scolaire Marguerite Bourgeoys, Luc's school board, maintained Luc's punishment was for eating sloppily on the day in question, not his specific use of cutlery. Spokesperson Brigitte Gavreau stated that board policy is that students can eat with any utensils.

The CSMB is the same school board that ejected a Sikh student for carrying the kirpan.

The Cagadoc affair, first published in the Transcontinental company newspapers, became an international incident. Jose Brillantes, the Philippines' ambassador to Canada, released a statement proclaiming the case "an affront to Filipino culture."

A score of protestors outside the Canadian Embassy in Manila appealed for "respect for cultural diversity" and affirmed "we eat with a spoon and we're proud." The item was quickly picked up worldwide, especially in Filipino newspapers and websites.

A security guard was assigned to École Lalande, Luc's primary school, and a police cruiser went on duty. School trustee Benoit Goulet stated that the school principal had been issued a death threat. Newspaper reports also mentioned threatening e-mails being sent to the school. The school board declined confirmation, and in a later meeting of the board a policy of no media interviews was confirmed.

Locals were up in arms: "I had to discourage people from the Filipino community from protesting in front of the school board," said Fo Niemi, a human rights activist acting as the family's advocate. Niemi is executive director for the Centre for Research-Action on Race Relations (CRARR).

Niemi hoped that if the Human Rights Commission found the school board culpable, it would at the very least review its policy on race relations. School authorities conducted two training sessions about the situation with parents and lunch hall monitors, commissioners were advised. Teachers were to have their own sessions on 15 May.

The Board's assistant director-general, France Pilon, said some parents were upset that anti-racism activists have concentrated on the school. However, several parents declined comment when approached by reporters.

Ms. Gallardo received much support worldwide in the form of calls, e-mails and even prayers. She also received, however, a legal warning from the school board because of comments to the press. And she was admonished for meeting a teacher and lunch monitor over Luc's treatment.

Pilon declared that Cagadoc's parents were repeatedly invited to meet with school officials, but declined,, reportedly on tribunal advice. Pilon also told the board that Luc's parents have instructed him to eat apart from other students.

Six leaders of the Filipino community were invited to a meeting with the school board on 15 May. Before the meeting, the [Filipino Canadian Association] announced that Filipinos were "deeply concerned" as to how Luc was punished, and how the school showed accountability for actions taken. A later statement said "we are in agreement to resolve this issue positively .... [in a way that] will favour both parties."

Further meetings were held, but eventually led to a stalemate. The FCA and the CRARR both claimed the school board was not willing to negotiate in good faith, or to admit to any wrongdoing, as evidenced by continuing press releases to that effect. The school board contends that the FCA increased its demands from four to nine during meetings.

As of the meetings noted above, Ms. Gallardo said she was still waiting for an apology.

1 Sources:

[edit] Sources:

[edit] The Calgary Sun:

"Filipino boy disciplined for eating in traditional way" http://calsun.canoe.ca/News/National/2006/05/06/1567174-sun.html

[edit] Canadian Broadcasting Corporation (CBC) News:

"School won't apologize in Filipino fork dispute" http://www.cbc.ca/montreal/story/qc-fork20060612.html

"Filipino anger remains over reprimand of boy" http://www.cbc.ca/montreal/story/qc-filipino20060516.html

"Montreal boy's silverware choice sparks protest in Philippines" http://www.cbc.ca/montreal/story/qc-fork20060505.html

[edit] The Chronicle Herald [Halifax]:

"Mom to file human rights case after son shunned for eating in traditional Filipino way" 06 May 2006 http://thechronicleherald.ca/Canada/501818.html

[edit] The Guelph Mercury:

"School deluged with threats after reprimand over food" 10 May 2006

Luc Cagadoc

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

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[edit] Sources:

[edit] The Calgary Sun:

[edit] Canadian Broadcasting Corporation (CBC) News:

[edit] The Chronicle Herald [Halifax]:

[edit] The Guelph Mercury:

[edit] Montreal Gazette:

[edit] Toronto Star:

[edit] [Montreal] West Island Chronicle:

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