Maple Ridge teacher reprimanded for telling an international student to 'go back to Spain'
A Maple Ridge teacher took three days without pay after telling international students to “go back to Spain” and making a student with asthma run track.
In a consent resolution agreement, the B.C. Commissioner for Teacher Regulation also issued William Walter McCrae a reprimand under sections 53 and 64(a) of the Teachers Act, for failing both in creating “an inclusive learning environment” and protecting “the physical and emotional safety” of students.
McCrae, a high school teacher employed by School District No. 42, was teaching physical education in the 2023/2024 school year. He had divided the class into two groups, with boys on the weights and girls on the stationary bikes.
Two international students from Spain were late to class and started using the weights, even though they were supposed to use the bikes.
McCrae told them to move to the bikes. He thought they were being disruptive to the class by continuing to talk, and that one of them was taking too long.
“You have to follow the rules of the country, the school…you are a guest in our country, you are a guest in our school, if you can’t abide by [the rules], you should go back to Spain,” he told the students.
When the students apologized to him the next day, he said, “I appreciate your apology, but I don’t get paid to teach international students.”
McCrae was also involved in another incident when his class was doing a relay race on the track.
One of his students told him they couldn’t participate because their inhaler had run out. McCrae assumed he was trying to get out of the race, as the school didn’t have a record of medical concerns for the student.
“He said, ‘Nice try’ and told [the student] to join the rest of their group and do the best they can.”
“[The student] has asthma. After running on the track for five minutes, [they] had to
sit on their knees and take deep breaths.”
On Sept. 27, 2024, the school district gave McCrae a three-day suspension without pay and required him to take a course on positive learning environments. On Dec. 16, 2024, the Commissioner ordered an investigation.
The school district had previously raised concerns about McCrae.
In Sept. 2023, they issued McCrae a letter reminding him of his duty to use appropriate language when communicating with students. In Feb. 2024, he was issued another letter after allegations that he hadn’t maintained “appropriate professional boundaries.”