Robin Tomlin finally gets apology for homophobic slur, 42 years later

Earlier this month, Robin Tomlin's story made headlines across Canada.

Forty-two years ago, a homophobic slur — the word "Fag" — was printed next to his name in his high-school yearbook.

This week, the North Vancouver school board gave the 60-year-old man the apology he'd been actively seeking since 1999.

"They made a very sincere apology," Tomlin revealed at a press conference outside Argyle secondary, shortly after the long-awaited private meeting with district officials. "It's a happy day."

"I hope that the school district's apology will bring some peace and long overdue closure for Mr. Tomlin and his family," said superintendent John Lewis, reading from a prepared statement. "We share a common and continued concern for the youth of today and an interest in creating a more positive environment for the future."

Lewis emphasized that the apology didn't absolve the individuals responsible for the bullying behaviour, nor did the slur reflect the school's student body. He also welcomed individuals from Tomlin's high-school class to come forward and try to better explain how the slur made it into the yearbook in the first place.

Former classmates, school alumni, friends and supporters gathered at the school as a show of solidarity. Some of those classmates planned to hold a grad party in Tomlin's honour after his meeting with the school board, CBC News reported.

"As Robin stated, it brings closure," Vicki Nettles, a former classmate of Tomlin's, told North Shore News. "But more than that, it brings light, and we need a huge light shone on bullying, on the mental, physical and emotional abuse of people — not just children — of people."

Tomlin hopes the apology will give other bullying victims hope.

"I hid it pretty good, but over the years, say the last 10 years, there has been so many stories of bullying coming out, it just kept bringing it back. And I just hated to see all these new victims out there, so I hope I can help," he told CBC News.

The school board also reprinted the yearbook with the words Tomlin originally submitted:

"Meet as many people from all over the world as I can," it reads under his name. "I want to be a cowboy."