B.C. teacher disciplined for refusing to let student use bathroom

An empty high school hallway is seen in this file photo.

A teacher who refused to let a student use the bathroom in a B.C. school has been disciplined by the province's professional regulator.

The teacher – whose identity is anonymized in order to protect the identity of the affected student – was working at an independent school in 2023 when the principal made a complaint to B.C.'s Commissioner for Teacher Regulation.

"When Student A asked for permission to use the bathroom. The teacher denied the request, even though Student A explained the reason why they needed to use the bathroom," a summary of a consent resolution posted online Tuesday says, describing the incident and the misconduct to which the teacher admitted.

"Failing to allow Student A to use the bathroom as requested resulted in a very embarrassing situation for Student A which caused Student A to cry."

The 2023 incident occurred two years after a similar incident for which the teacher was issued a "letter of expectation" reminding them of two things, according to the summary of the consent resolution.

"There is no place for sarcasm, belittlement or shame in the learning and work environment at the school," the letter said.

"When students ask to use the bathroom, the Teacher must allow them to do so. If the teacher had concerns about a student's use of the bathroom, or found a worrying pattern of bathroom use requests, the teacher was to discuss this with a supervising adult rather than the student."

The teacher agreed to a five-day suspension of their licence as a penalty for the misconduct, and will also be required to complete a course on creating a positive learning environment.

The summary of the consent resolution also notes that the teacher resigned from their position at the school where the misconduct occurred.