B.C. teacher suspended for one day after causing Grade 5 student to hit head

A B.C. teacher was suspended for one day after allegedly tipping the chair of a Grade 5 student who was still seated, causing the student to fall and hit their head on a table, according to a report from the British Columbia Commissioner for Teacher Regulation.

The incident occurred around fall 2025, the report says. Student A, described as a vulnerable student, had refused to follow the teacher’s direction. The student became upset and cried after the fall. The teacher did not report the injury to school administration, but asked the principal to come to the classroom to speak with the student. Student A then told the principal about the injury and how it happened.

The unnamed school district suspended the teacher for one day on Nov. 3, 2025. The teacher admitted the conduct amounted to professional misconduct under the Teachers Act and agreed to complete a professional learning course at the Justice Institute of British Columbia by Sept. 8, 2026.

The commissioner said the teacher failed to maintain a safe learning environment and to model the behaviour expected of an educator. The report redacted names, including the teacher’s, to protect students harmed, abused or exploited by the teacher. It also says the teacher’s certificate was issued in 1992 and that the teacher agreed not to make oral or written statements contradicting, disputing or questioning the consent resolution agreement or the admissions.