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Richmond mom claims racial profiling after COVID alert at school

A Richmond mom-of-two is calling out her building manager for racially profiling her family – after a COVID-19 exposure alert was issued at the BC Muslim School.
BC Muslim School
The BC Muslim School, between No. 5 Road and Highway 99, where a COVID-19 exposure alert was issued earlier this week. Google maps

A Richmond mom-of-two is calling out her building manager for racially profiling her family – after a COVID-19 exposure alert was issued at the BC Muslim School.

The woman, who asked not to be named, told the Richmond News she was shocked when the manager of their apartment building, near Blundell and No. 2 roads, shouted a question at them on Tuesday afternoon.

She said the manager – after hearing from someone that Vancouver Coastal Health (VCH) had issued the alert for the school on No. 5 Road – asked her husband what school her two elementary-aged kids went to.

When the manager was told the couple’s children are being home-schooled right now, he shrugged his shoulders and walked away.

“So, just because I’m Muslim and I wear a headscarf, he thinks he has the right to ask us this question?” the woman told the News on Wednesday.

“Our kids don’t even go to that school, they go to a public one. But because I have asthma, it’s safer for us all that they learn at home just now.

“And even if I’d said yes, they do go to that school, what was he going to do? This is a scary thing, that people are thinking like this and think it’s OK to ask these questions.”

The woman said her husband asked the manager who had told him about her family, as he seemed to not know much about the VCH alert.

“We have lived here for 10 years. It’s a horrible thought that a neighbour may have reported us to the manager,” the woman added.

“Is that what it’s coming to? People telling tales about their neighbours.

“Now we are suspicious of our neighbours. This is not right.”

The woman said she and her husband have notified the company that manages the building and are considering a human rights complaint.