Toronto schools drop the word 'chief' from job titles to avoid offending indigenous people

The largest school board in Canada has banned the word “chief” from job titles to avoid offending indigenous people.

The Toronto District School Board – which oversees all secular, English-speaking schools in the city – is removing the word because it can be used as a “slur”.

The move is at the recommendation of the Board’s Truth and Reconciliation Commission, which aims to further reconciliation with indigenous people, the Canadian Press reported.

Titles like “chief financial officer”, “chief academic officer” and “chief communications officer” will be renamed, even though the use of the word “chief” in those titles does not refer to indigenous people.

The announcement has raised eyebrows on social media. On Twitter, people pointed out that the word "chief" is thought to originate from Old French and Middle English language.

But Ryan Bird, a school board spokesman, told the Canadian Press: "It may not have originated as an indigenous word, but the fact is that it is used as a slur in some cases, or in a negative way to describe indigenous people.

"With that in mind, as it has become a slur in some cases, that's the decision the administration has made to be proactive on that," he added.

“Chief” will be replaced with words like “manager” and “executive officer”.