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In the meeting, the principal reiterated that the school’s student handbook bans headwear. Momolu said she spoke with police, who were called to the school following the meeting, but that she was not threatening or aggressive. Momolu says she was banned from the school for one-year that prohibits her from dropping her son off at school.

In a statement issued by Edmonton Catholic Schools on Thursday, the division apologized for using the word “gang,” but said the issue of race was never part of the discussion.

Emmell was never part of the ban and the choice to keep him home from school is solely the mother’s decision, the school board’s statement said.

The division stood by its decision to ban Momolu from the school, and stated that after the recording, the “conduct of the mother escalated and our surveillance shows her acting aggressively towards staff and the police when they arrived.”

The school board was trying to unfairly portray Momolu as angry, local activist Bashir Mohamed said, calling for the release of the video footage. “We’ve released everything, and I think that it’s time for the school board to show its receipts.”

The event, attended by about 50 people, began at R.J.W. Mather Park and moved to the Lumen Christi Catholic Education Centre.

“If the school board doesn’t apologize, we’ll do this again until they apologize,” said Mohamed.

lijohnson@postmedia.com

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