Report on Montreal elementary school leads to investigation of 11 teachers for toxic environment and 3 more schools with CSSDM

Following report into a Montreal elementary school that aimed to shed light on allegations of a toxic climate at Montreal’s Bedford Elementary School, Quebec’s Education Minister Bernard Drainville announced 11 teachers will be investigated.

The report shows troubling facts about actions and behaviours that raise concerns about the physical and psychological safety of students at the Côte-des-Neiges school, including physical and psychological abuse of students and staff, like yelling, humiliation, intimidation, insubordination and incivilities, the Ministry wrote in a press release.

In an interview with CityNews Friday, Drainville detailed the behaviours, “yelling at students, pushing, refusing to the students the help they deserve, refusing to recognize that autism exists, refusing to teach sexual education or science, having a student who loses consciousness and instead of helping, [they] start praying. And there’s a second adult in the classroom who says, ‘that’s not my job to look after the kid.'”

The Ministry says the investigation revealed significant shortcomings, “with regard to the toxic climate within this school. Investigators found a climate of fear and intimidation created by a ‘dominant clan.'”

The school is part of the Centre de services scolaire de Montréal (CSSDM). In a statement to CityNews, the CSSDM “acknowledges the conclusions and will fully collaborate in implementing the recommendations of the administrative investigation into the quality of educational services at Bedford School and the maintenance of a healthy and safe environment.”

The CSSDM says their director general, Isabelle Gélinas, played a role in launching this process, “having also brought to the attention of the Ministry concerns about governance and the climate in other schools, she welcomes the announced audit mandates.”

Some examples in the report of the alleged toxic climate include:

• Using “humiliation-based techniques,” such as sending students “to the wall” to punish them.
• Some young people are sent down the hallway, sometimes for considerable periods of time, for more than a day.
• [A teacher] gives some students ungraceful names, calling them aliens for example.
• The testimonies report several teachers mentioning that students are lost causes, that nothing is possible for them.
• According to some teachers, there is no such thing as ASD [autism spectrum disorder].

Investigators also reported that some subjects were not taught or taught very little at Bedford School, with gaps identified in the teaching of oral communication, science and technology, ethics and religious culture, and sexuality education.

“The school exists for our students. Their interests and needs must take precedence at all times and in all schools in Quebec,” Drainville said in a press release. “I will not compromise on that. It is clear that this is not the case at Bedford School and that is why we must act and take strong action to change it.”

Drainville announced that several measures will be implemented, including an investigation at three other schools.

Two chaperones are being sent to Bedford to develop and submit an action plan to the Ministry to “restore a healthy and safe climate free from all forms of bullying and violence; to ensure the competence of teachers, in particular through in-service training,” the press release said, among other things.

The chaperones will also propose solutions to the problem of interference by teachers in the management of the school and measures to ensure the proper functioning of the school principal and the governing board in accordance with the roles and responsibilities assigned to them.

They will support the Centre de services scolaire de Montréal (CSSDM), the staff of Bedford and the Ministry of Education in the deployment of the proposed action plan — expected to be completed by Nov. 30.

Eleven teachers who have allegedly behaved in a way that is of concern according to the report on Bedford will be investigated to determine whether these teachers have committed serious misconduct or an act derogating from the honour or dignity of the teaching profession in the exercise of their duties.

“I’m going to be waiting for these investigative committees to tell me whether keeping them in the school poses a threat for the protection of these students,” Drainville said. “If they come to the conclusion that their presence poses a risk for the security of the students, it is possible for me to withdraw their teaching permit and send them home for the duration of the whole investigation.”

Three other CSSDM schools: Saint-Pascal-Baylon elementary school, Bienville elementary school and La Voie high school will be investigated to determine if there are similar problems.

“I’m very, very, very deeply concerned about what happened. And I want to make sure that it doesn’t happen again,” Drainville said.

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The CSSDM recognizes that the investigation highlights “unacceptable teaching practices that have been in place over the years and the importance of reporting inappropriate situations without delay. Inappropriate actions and remarks have no place in schools, towards students or staff members. Anyone in the educational community is invited to report them so that appropriate measures can be taken as quickly as possible.”

They say they will fully collaborate with the Ministry and are committed to implementing all of the recommendations from the report.

“The support staff will play a key role in implementing sustainable solutions to meet the needs of students and ensure a healthy and safe environment for all.”

‘We would go back to the 60s in ways of teaching and ways of dealing with students’

The Regroupement des comités de parents autonomes du Québec (RCPAQ) and parents committee of the CSSDM is worried, but is reassured that professional help will be onsite for students and staff next week.

“It’s a thing that we didn’t thought was possible to happen in a school in Quebec, you know, we would go back to the 60s in ways of teaching and ways of dealing with students. So it’s very worrying for parents. It’s worrying that it’s been happening for a few years,” said Sylvain Martel, spokesperson for RCPAQ and part of the parents committee of the CSSDM.

“The good news in that is that action is being taken by the Minister today, and there’s going to be more action in the weeks coming,” he added. “There is also action that is going to be present starting next week. Today, there’s no school […], but next week there’s going to be teams of professionals that are going to be in the school to ensure that the students are safe.”

A Montreal police cruiser could be seen outside Bedford school on Friday – even if it was a ped day – the SPVM tells CityNews it was a preventative measure in relation to the report that was released this morning. That they were there if support was needed onsite with anyone who may go to the school looking for answers.