Details about a teacher’s professional misconduct in BC highlight how inappropriate it can be to comment on a student’s clothing.
Edward Garret Timmermans was employed by the Saanich School District, per documents from the British Columbia Commissioner for Teacher Regulation.
While working in 2021, he made several inappropriate comments directed toward students, including disparaging remarks about children with disabilities and making uncomfortable remarks about a girl’s clothing.
Commenting on a student’s clothes
The district reported to the commissioner about Timmermans in May 2021 following an incident a month earlier while he was a middle school teacher.
According to the documents, Student B walked by Timmerman’s class and rudely asked Student A what they were looking at.
Timmerman asked Student A, “Are you laughing at [Student B} due to the bikini top?” Then, he approached Student B, saying, “Perhaps [Student A] is laughing at you because of what you’re wearing.”
He also said, “You have your bra hanging out and people are going to look at you.”
Student B was an Indigenous child in grade seven. Later, Timmermans continued talking with Student B, saying they “dressed inappropriately.” He also added, “[Last week] you were wearing booty shorts so short your bum was showing and I had to turn my eyes away.”
Following the incident, Timmermans was sent a disciplinary letter and completed three training courses: “Building Compassionate Classrooms,” “Cultural Competency Training,” and “10 Ways to De-Escalate a Student’s Big Behaviours.”
Disparaging remarks about students with disabilities
While teaching at an elementary school, in class one day, a student referred to themselves as “dumb.”
In response, Timmermans said that the student was not dumb, because “dumb means you are unable to speak and clearly you are speaking.”
Later, when telling this story to colleagues at a meeting, Timmermans was reminded that some students are non-verbal, to which he responded by saying “yeah, and they are dumb.”
Threatening language
Also, while at an elementary school, Timmermans made some bizarre comments that may have threatened children.
While on a bus with his Grade 3 class going on a field trip, he made an announcement on the microphone, welcoming students, and telling some jokes.
He added, “If you need to stand up to shout across the bus, you need to understand that I will rip out your vocal cords and then throw them out the window.”
Grade 3 students in BC are typically aged eight to nine years old.
Disciplinary consequences
According to the commissioner, “Timmermans failed to treat students equitably with acceptance, dignity, and respect and failed to show adequate care for students’ mental and emotional wellbeing.”
He also “failed to model appropriate behaviour expected of an educator.”
Next, Timmermans has until March 31, 2023, to complete the course “Creating a Positive Learning Environment” through the Justice Institute of British Columbia. If he doesn’t, then the Commissioner could ask the Director of Certification to suspend Timmerman’s certificate until he completes the course.
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