EXCLUSIVE: Records show web of connections behind Ottawa school board anti-hate consultants
Raja Khouri, Bernie Farber and the Canadian Anti-Hate Network were hired within months of one another and share years of overlapping professional relationships.
The Ottawa-Carleton District School Board’s anti-hate and equity training program was delivered by consultants who, on paper, appeared to represent separate organizations and areas of expertise.
Freedom of information records obtained by Juno News show a different picture.
Between September 2022 and 2023, the board paid Raja Khouri of Khouri Conversations, anti-hate advocate Bernie Farber and the Canadian Anti-Hate Network (CAHN) for professional development workshops on equity, inclusion, anti-oppression, antisemitism and hate prevention. The records show the contracts were approved by the board’s Equity Department, with several awarded through sole-source arrangements.
In September 2022, the OCDSB paid Khouri Conversations $19,032.86 for professional development training for trustees. The invoice covered research, development, consultations, facilitation, travel and accommodation.
