A Nanaimo-Ladysmith high school teacher has been disciplined after an independent regulatory body found he berated a student at her workplace and demanded that she be fired.
Edward John Thomas Mulrooney's certificate of qualification will be suspended from May 5-9 and he must complete a professional conduct course through the Justice Institute, ruled Donnaree Nygard, B.C. Commissioner of Teacher Regulation acting commissioner, in a decision released this month.
The situation began in February 2021 when the teacher was accused of staring at a girl in the hallway, which made her feel uncomfortable, according to the consent resolution agreement. Students believed that the teacher "looked at [the girl] in a way that was 'checking her out.'"
Nanaimo Ladysmith Public Schools subsequently suspended the teacher and conducted an investigation, and while that was happening, another incident arose in July 2021.
According to the document, the teacher encountered the student working as a cashier, wagged his finger at her and told her to "stop your little lies." He raised his voice, was visibly angry and made disrespectful comments to the student, and said he was going to talk to her manager and that she should not be working when he could not work.
When a manager intervened, the teacher said the student could cost him his job and asked the manager what they were going to do to keep him from being "challenged by vindictive young girls who obviously believe something 鈥� that is not true," according to the document. The teacher asked the manager to fire the girl and followed up with a phone call asking that she be fired.
He resigned in April 2022 and the commissioner ordered an investigation in May 2022. A citation was issued against the teacher this past February. In addition to agreeing to facts stated in the agreement, the teacher also admits his actions amount to professional misconduct.
The consent resolution agreement was signed by the teacher on April 3 and by the commissioner on April 7.
