Saskatoon school principal receives thousands of threatening messages after keffiyeh incident at graduation

Wendy Benson, the now-retired principal of a Saskatoon high school, has received tens of thousands of hurtful emails and voicemails threatening her safety after she removed a student's keffiyeh-inspired scarf during a graduation ceremony on June 23.

"The messages have come literally from all around the world. There's a bunch of burner accounts, so fake accounts, fake emails, calling her all sorts of just horrific names," said Brian Pfefferle, Benson's lawyer. "I would say without any hesitation that Miss Benson is concerned for her personal safety."

Videos of the incident have been viewed millions of times online. Saskatoon Police confirmed they've launched an investigation into the incident and the resulting social media fallout. Pfefferle said he monitors his client's inbox and sees dozens of emails every hour, along with online posts that include Benson's contact information and encourage people to reach out. "It's for a calculated purpose, to bombard the e-mail addresses of these individuals and essentially shut down normal functioning communication, and it's criminal," he said.

Shaimaa Al Jamous, the 18-year-old student who wore the scarf while crossing the graduation stage, has also received offensive messages and is avoiding social media for her mental health. She grew up in war-torn Syria and said it was important to wear the scarf to show solidarity with Palestinians who can't receive an education because of the conflict. "While it's been difficult, I've been focusing on the overwhelming support I've received from my community and from people who believe every student should be able to celebrate their culture without being publicly humiliated," she said.

Saskatoon Public Schools said staff had instructed students not to wear personal items during the ceremony. The school division also noted that many harassing messages suggest senders are unfamiliar with the local context — some invoke the First Amendment or mistakenly refer to "Centennial College" instead of "Centennial Collegiate."