Penticton high school teacher was suspended for 10 days earlier this year

A Penticton high school teacher has been disciplined for leaving school grounds during which time a fire broke out at the school.

In a decision released by the British Columbia Commissioner for Teacher Regulation, it says Lori Lea Grant was employed as a high school teacher with School District 67 when an incident occurred on Jan. 18 earlier this year.

As a result of this incident, Grant, a teacher at Princess Margaret Secondary School, was suspended for 10 days without pay in February.

Grant was teaching a Grade 10 class on the morning in question when she left the class without arranging for any supervision during her absence, said the written report.

“She left the class and school property, in order to hang up signs advertising a school musical production,” said the report. “Grant took four students with her to help … two from the class and two who were in the school's common area during a study block.

“She did not let school administration know that she was leaving school property, nor did she sign out. Grant also did not ensure that the four students she was with sign out as required.”

Grant drove the students in her car to an overpass approximately three kilometres from the school so that they could hang up a sign promoting the upcoming musical and they then stopped at a second location to fix a sign that was already up, said the report.

Grant did not have District permission to drive students in her personal vehicle.

Grant and the four students returned to the school 30 minutes after leaving and during their absence, there had been a fire at the school requiring all students to evacuate, said the report.

“Grant was not present to assist her class in evacuating, nor had she arranged supervision so that another adult could oversee evacuation of the class,” said the report. “Following the fire, the school principal wrote to some teachers about the incident in order to assist with the ongoing investigation into the fire’s cause. The principal asked three teachers, which included Grant, to identify whether they had left their classrooms before the alarm sounded, and if so, where they were and how long they were gone.

“Grant was not forthright in her response, advising the principal that she was between her classroom and the drama room and that she did not see anyone in the hallway around the time of the fire and that all of her students were accounted for.”

On. Feb. 7, The District issued Grant a letter of discipline and suspended her for 10 days without pay.

Grant served her suspension from Feb. 12-23.

The District also directed Grant to comply with all District policy and procedure, ensure her class is supervised at all times and comply with the standards of the Teacher Regulation Branch.

Grant agreed the facts as presented were accurate and to not make any statement orally or in writing which contradicts, disputes or calls into question the facts as presented.

Grant was informed that the circumstances of this incident would be published on the website www.bcteacherregulation.ca.

The report concludes saying Grant has “voluntarily entered into this agreement with the benefit of independent legal advice and that she fully understands the terms and conditions set out.”

To view the entire decision, click here.