The Board’s Verdict: Educator Dismissed for Participation in ‘Survivor Québec’ Reality TV Show
An elementary school teacher who participated in the Quebec version of the reality TV show “Survivor” was terminated from her job after taking unauthorized time off to compete in the program.
Déborah De Braekeleer, 39 years old, is among the 16 remaining contestants vying for the $100,000 grand prize on the second season of “Survivor Québec.” The show initially featured 20 people stranded on an island in the Philippines.
The president of the local teachers union, Patrick Théroux, stated that despite De Braekeleer arranging for qualified substitutes to cover her absence, the St-Hyacinthe school board still decided to dismiss her.
Théroux mentioned that after her termination, the board offered to hire De Braekeleer as her own substitute teacher on a temporary basis but did not reinstate her to a permanent position.
With Quebec facing a shortage of teachers and struggling to recruit educators, the union president described the situation as unfortunate.
A petition with over 4,400 signatures has been created to advocate for De Braekeleer’s reinstatement, and Théroux expressed hope that the school board would reconsider their decision.
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De Braekeleer cannot participate in media interviews while still on the Noovo network’s show, where contestants engage in physical challenges and strive to avoid elimination by gaining the favor of their peers.
Requests for comments from the St-Hyacinthe school board, Centre de services scolaire de Saint-Hyacinthe, have gone unanswered.
