CSSDM suspends 11 teachers at Bedford school in connection with toxic climate

Eleven teachers at Bedford Elementary School have been suspended at the request of Montreal’s Director General of the school services center (CSSDM), who made the announcement Saturday evening in a press release.

Isabelle Gélinas asked the school’s administration to immediately suspend the teachers concerned, a move described by the public body as “unprecedented.”

Ms. Gélinas took this decision on Thursday evening after learning of the names of the teachers accused, according to a ministerial investigation report. They are accused of having created a toxic climate within the school, raising concerns about “the physical and psychological safety of students.”

CSSDM specifies that the suspensions will remain in effect for “the duration of the work of the inquiry committees mandated by the Minister of Education.”

The committees must determine whether the 11 teachers in question “committed a serious fault or an act derogatory to the honor or dignity of the teaching profession in the performance of their duties,” the press release also states.

Educational services at the elementary school will be reorganized as of Monday, and support is already in place for Bedford students, and substitute teachers have been designated.

The CSSDM says it is working “to re-establish a healthy and safe climate at Bedford School,” while three other schools have been the subject of ministerial investigations since the Bedford Elementary School inquiry was launched.

The organization specifies that no further comment will be given regarding the Ministry’s investigations while they are ongoing.

A devastating investigation report

According to the Ministry of Education report, investigators found that a climate of fear and intimidation had been created by what they called a “ruling group” of teachers. According to the document, this group has imposed a veritable autocratic reign of terror on the school. 

Children are subjected to physical and psychological violence, including shouting and humiliation, such as being sent to the wall or corridor, some for very long periods.

The report states that “for some teachers at Bedford School, there is no such thing as a learning disability (…) For these teachers, the children in difficulty are in fact lazy, capricious and unwilling to give the necessary effort. It was also mentioned that, according to some teachers, ASD (Autism Spectrum Disorder) doesn’t exist.” These children were referred to by some as “aliens” or “lost causes.”

Members of this dominant group refuse access to their classrooms to professionals such as special education technicians or speech therapists, going so far as to bar the door and draw the curtains on interior windows so that no one can see into the classroom. The report also states, “some teachers refused to draw up an intervention plan for some of their students, stating that there were no problems in the classroom (…) The evidence shows that several students did not receive the services to which they were entitled.”

The domination of the group in question is so strong that many other teachers opposed to these methods have been reported to have left, some of whom were the victims of boycott campaigns, in full view of their students, and even interference in the responsibilities that fall to management.

The outcome of the investigations could mean the conditional continuation, suspension or outright revocation of the teaching authorizations or certificates of the teachers involved.

Last Friday, the Minister of Education, Bernard Drainville, announced that two interveners were being dispatched to Bedford School to draw up a proposed plan to “re-establish a healthy and safe climate, ensure teacher competence and propose solutions to the problem of teacher interference in school management”. The action plan to turn around the school’s situation must be submitted by November 30.

“It’s hard to imagine that in 2024, in our public schools, situations like this could go on for so long,” said Mélanie Hubert, president of the Fédération autonome de l’enseignement, in an interview with the Canadian Press on Tuesday.

For her part, Catherine Beauvais-St-Pierre, president of the Alliance des professeures et des professeurs de Montréal, which represents teachers at the four schools under investigation, said that the union was not aware of all the facts in the report. As to whether the union would defend its members who might be subject to disciplinary or other measures, Ms. Beauvais-St-Pierre clarified: “we will represent them; I think this nuance is important”.

“We have a duty, we have a responsibility, even, the legal framework, which requires us to represent each and every one of our members,” added Beauvais-St-Pierre. However, after that, ‘defend’ is another word. We’re not going to defend the indefensible.”

– The Canadian Press with archives from Pierre Saint-Arnaud and Lia Lévesque