Delta band teacher suspended after telling student: ‘go kill yourself’
Posted June 11, 2019 8:42 pm.
Last Updated June 11, 2019 8:48 pm.
DELTA (NEWS 1130) — A high school music teacher in Delta was suspended for 10 days after he told a Grade 9 student to “go kill yourself” during a heated moment three years ago.
A recent ruling handed down by the B.C. Commissioner for Teacher Regulation says Boris Pekarsky yelled at a student who was apparently “not on task” during band class in November of 2016.
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The student went to sit down and tripped over an instrument, causing a loud noise. Pekarsky then asked that student and another to leave, and he told the student something to the effect of “go kill yourself, it won’t matter anyway.”
Several students in the class heard the comments and were shocked and upset.
There was a second incident.
Several months later, Pekarsky met with a small group of students from the band class where he told them he didn’t know what to do about the behaviour of some of their classmates. He mentioned a few students by name, and asked for advice and discussed their ideas. Pekarsky was suspended from work for 10 days without pay in March 2017.
In the ruling, the commissioner writes reasons for the suspension, saying that Pekarsky didn’t treat his students with respect and dignity, that he failed to consider how his words would impact the students, and that he showed a lack of insight into why speaking about some students’ behavioural issues with their peers was inappropriate.
Pekarsky will have his teaching certificate suspended for three days later this month.
