Cotes des Neiges

By Dan Laxer
The Suburban

The eleven teachers from Bedford Elementary School in Cotes des Neiges accused to practices leading to a toxic environment have been suspended. The Centre de services scolaire de Montreal made the announcement on Saturday, receiving a positive response from the education minister, but a lukewarm response from Liberal MNA Marwah Rizqy.

However, the story has since caused waves in the National Assembly, with reaction from both Parti Quebecois leader Paul St-Pierre Plamondon, and from Premier Francois Legault.

Last week, news surfaced that those teachers were the subject of an investigation into reports of abuse, both psychological and physical. The teachers were alleged to have engaged in what some referred to as old school disciplinarian techniques – bullying, yelling, intimidation, and even physical discipline, avoidance of science, and allegedly banning girls from sports activities.

Over the weekend it was reported that, according to the government,that the teachers in question had introduced religious concepts into their courses and comprised what the report referred to as a “dominant clan.” Other teachers had opposed the reported behaviour of the suspended teachers.

Legault posted on X (formerly Twitter) that he was “shocked” to hear that “religious concepts” had been introduced into the public school, and has called on Education Minister Bernard Drainville and Jean-Francois Roberge, the minister responsible for secularism, to intervene. “For our part,” Drainville wrote, “we will continue to use all the tools at our disposal.” The move echoes St. Pierre Plamondon who, in the wake of the scandal, called for stricter secularism rules. Legault’s post specified that it was “disturbing” to hear that these teachers brought “Islamic religious concepts” into the school.

Isabelle Gélinas, the Director-General of the CSSDM, asked the school to take the step of suspending the teachers “to restore a safe and healthy environment for Bedford students and the entire educational community as quickly as possible.” Drainville took to X to acknowledge the announcement, and echoed Gélinas’ words, posting that “staff hard at work on game plan to restore safe, healthy atmosphere at Bedford School.”

The allegations date back to the 2016-17 school year. And the ministry is looking at three other schools within the CSSDM: Bienville, Saint-Pascal-Baylong, and La Voie High School. It is not yet clear whether the teachers will lose their licenses. But the suspensions will remain in effect for the duration of the investigation.

Rizqy, who had previously called for Gélinas to step down over the issue, says the move was made too late. Gélinas claimed she took the decision after she learned the identities of the teachers in question, names which Rizqy says were already known. n