B.C. teacher suspended for professional misconduct involving two Indigenous students

A B.C. teacher has been suspended and will have to take a course on racism after hitting a student with a book and grabbing the arm of another student, according to a consent resolution agreement this week with the B.C. Commissioner for Teacher Regulation.

Deborah Laurie Croft was teaching at an independent school at an undisclosed location during the 2019/2020 school year when she was involved in two incidents with Indigenous students that the discipline says were at odds with truth and reconciliation efforts.

The first incident involved a Grade 11 student in Croft’s homeroom in November 2019.  The student and a friend decided to stay in the classroom for their study break while Croft was in a meeting, according to the agreed statement of facts. But Croft wanted the room empty and asked them to leave.

When they refused, she got frustrated and locked the door. She grabbed the student’s arm and phone in attempt to get the the student to leave, according to the agreement.