B.C. elementary school teacher reprimanded for ‘demeaning’ treatment of vulnerable student

A B.C. elementary school teacher has been reprimanded and ordered to take a course on creating positive learning environments after admitting to “demeaning” and abusive behaviour with students.

Elaine Joy Fraser agreed to the punishment from the B.C. Commissioner for Teacher Regulation in a consent resolution agreement posted online Tuesday.

In it, Fraser admits making “a demeaning comment” to a student during the 2021-22 school year in front of the student’s classmates, and rewarding them to the exclusion of that student.

The student, who is described as being “particularly vulnerable due to a unique learning profile,” reported being hurt by what happened and, in March 2022, Fraser was handed a letter reminding her to foster her students’ emotional safety.

That incident followed others dating back to 2009, including a written reprimand after “allegations that she had hit a student with a textbook.” In June 2010, another reprimand was issued after Fraser allegedly “nudged a student on the back of his leg with her foot to get the student’s attention, and that she had extended her leg causing the student to run into it.”