Vancouver high school teacher disciplined after shutting up students with duct tape
By Graham Slaughter, Ian Austin and Elaine O'Connor, The Province
June 20, 2013 11:39 AM
In Ms. Fowler’s math class, chatty pupils have two choices: They can either report to the office or have their mouths duct-taped shut.
In three recent cases, students chose the tape.
It’s an unconventional punishment that has raised questions about how seriously the province disciplines its teachers.
Margo Anne Fowler, a Vancouver teacher at Sir Winston Churchill Secondary School, was given only a warning by the B.C. Teacher Regulation Branch, the Ministry of Education’s watchdog for teachers, after she admitted to duct-taping students’ mouths shut. Her professional misconduct was uncovered in an investigation by the Vancouver School Board, which said it has “no current issues” with the teacher.
“We have no concerns of her moving forward at Churchill,” said board spokesman Kurt Heinrich, who confirmed that Fowler still works for the school and was never suspended.
The duct-tape punishments came to light this week after the Teacher Regulation Branch posted reports of the professional misconduct online as part of Fowler’s punishment.
In the first incident, the teacher told a talkative Grade 8 student that he could either go to the office or have his mouth duct-taped shut. He picked the tape. Photos of the event eventually surfaced on Facebook.
On another occasion Fowler told a Grade 8 boy to duct-tape his mouth shut when he was speaking too loudly in class. The student complied. A Grade 10 student was later punished in a similar fashion.
The teacher admitted to all three incidents in a resolution agreement with the Teacher Regulation Branch signed on May 30.
It’s not clear whether the students duct-taped their own mouths or if the teacher did it. Neither the Teacher Regulation Branch nor the school board would elaborate, citing privacy issues.
“From all reports, this is an excellent teacher who is highly-respected by her colleagues and well-liked by her students," said BCTF president Susan Lambert. “She has acknowledged and apologized for her actions, and cooperated fully with both the Vancouver School Board and Teacher Regulation Branch processes. She has already been reprimanded by the school board and disciplined by the TRB.
“The Teacher Regulation Branch’s policy of making decisions public on its website adds a disproportionate level of public shaming to the discipline. The TRB should be mindful of this consequence.”
The incident, if reported to Vancouver police, would likely be investigated, a police spokesman said.
“The investigation would involve whether the application of force was applied intentionally, consent was given (and lawfully obtained), and if the application of duct tape was determined to be a ‘level of force,’” said Sgt. Randy Fincham, adding that the incident had not been reported to police.
One of B.C.’s top criminologists explained that since there was no apparent intent to harm, it’s not likely that the teacher would be charged with assault.
“I think it falls under the umbrella of stupidity,” said Darryl Placas, a criminologist at the University at the Fraser Valley.
Students interviewed at the school Wednesday described Fowler as an unconventional teacher who knows how to connect with her pupils.
Grade 11 student Jonah Rudy said he took the duct-tape incident as a joke, but understands that others might not see it that way.
“I kind of see it as a joke, I’d probably put the tape on my face,” Rudy said. “It depends whether the kid saw it as a joke.”
Parent Ron Fung said he doesn’t know the specifics, but thinks the teacher’s actions were outdated.
“We live in a modern society — this is something like the ’50s,” said Fung, who was picking up his child at school.
“I wouldn’t think asking a student to duct-tape is right.”
