B.C. teacher suspended for telling students ‘racism does not exist’ among other discriminatory comments

A teacher is being reprimanded after discriminatory comments were made in the classroom. (Pixabay/Pexels)

A B.C. teacher who told his class “racism does not exist” and made other concerning and flippant comments regarding race and LGBTQ+ matters has been suspended and must complete a remedial course, lest his teaching certificate be revoked.

According to a summary of a consent agreement with the B.C. Commissioner for Teacher Regulation, published May 13, the events concerning teacher Evgueni Vladimirovitch Melnik unfolded in May 2021.

Melnik had been teaching a Comparative Civilizations class while employed as a secondary school teacher at a school in Coquitlam.

Throughout the class Melnik made various offensive claims, telling students that “racism does not exist” and that a lot of what is described as racism today comes from cultural differences, the agreement read.

According to the document, Melnik used historic anti-Asian sentiments as an example and referred to the “cultural traits” of Asians who worked on the railroad in the 19th century in B.C. He said they were resented because they had “worked for less money and followed direction,” it read.

On another occasion, while discussing the ancient poem Epic of Gilgamesh and its theme of immortality, Melnik drew a line graph on the blackboard and split it into the categories of “Animals,” “Humans,” “Jesus,” and “God.”

Melnik described humans as complex thinkers. Regarding God, Melnik said “everyone wants to reach this.” At some point during the lesson, Melnik referenced Black Lives Matter protesters and circled “Animals” at least three times, the summary said.

Elsewhere in the class, an LGBTQ+ student reported “being very upset and impacted” by another comment Melnik made regarding gender identities and how they are portrayed in the media, the summary continued.

Melnik is reported to have said that “the media has you believe that there are more than two genders when using the words ‘bisexual’ and ‘binary’… there are so many labels, who cares.”

As a result of the comments, the school district suspended Melnik for eight days without pay in December 2021, and ordered him to complete a training course on diversity and sensitivity, which he completed that same month.

The commissioner further gave Melnik a reprimand and ordered him to complete the course “Creating a Positive Learning Environment” by Sept. 5, 2025.

The commissioner said the views Melnik shared with his students did not align with the school district’s expectation that “teachers refrain from engaging in conduct or comment which disparages or discriminates against others,” the summary read.

The views “did not foster a safe environment for his students” it continued, nor did he “role-model respect for diversity.”