Elementary Student Duct-Taped to Chair Leads to Suspension of BC Principal
An elementary school principal in British Columbia has been suspended after assisting a school staff member in duct-taping a student to their seat to aid the child in focusing.
MacCormack also applied duct tape to the student, as mentioned in the Jan. 3 agreement. The purpose of restraining the student was to enhance the child’s concentration on an assignment.
“MacCormack later came by, took a photo of the student’s work, assisted in removing the duct tape, and rewarded the student for completing the assigned task,” the agreement noted.
The online agreement posted this week does not specify the school where the incident took place.
On June 18, the district suspended MacCormack without pay for 20 days and transferred her to another school. The incident was also reported to the B.C. commissioner for teacher regulation.
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The commissioner suspended MacCormack’s teaching certificate for five days and mandated her to enroll in a course on fostering a positive learning environment, as per the agreement. She is required to complete the course by March 31.
The commissioner deemed MacCormack’s actions as “inappropriate.”
“MacCormack did not act in the student’s best interests or show the student dignity and respect,” the document stated. “As a principal with a leadership position, MacCormack should have recognized that duct-taping a student to a chair was inappropriate; other school staff were aware of its inappropriateness.”
The commissioner also noted that she failed to “act with integrity” by not timely disclosing her involvement in the duct-taping incident to the school district.
“This behavior undermines the perception of the profession as a whole,” the commissioner remarked.
