Ford government appoints veteran education staffer to review TDSB protest field trip [Video]

The Ford government has selected the reviewer it will task with investigating a controversial field trip that saw students at Ontario’s largest school board attend a protest in downtown Toronto.

In mid-September, students from 15 Toronto District School Board schools went on a field trip to a demonstration in support of the Grassy Narrows First Nation, whose community river was impacted by years of mercury poisoning, to learn about the story.

The trip, however, didn’t go as planned, according to the school board, and saw students in the thick of the protest, where some said unrelated issues, including the Middle East conflict, were mentioned.

The province announced a review of the trip and the board’s policies soon after the controversy first broke, with Premier Doug Ford claiming some teachers were trying to “indoctrinate” students.

“I think it’s disgraceful — you’re trying to indoctrinate our kids,” he said, claiming the protest had been a “Palestine rally” in Toronto.

“I’ve said …