TDSB teacher under investigation after mask segregation tweet
The teacher in question has been put on home assignment pending the outcome of an investigation
Article content
The Toronto District School Board has placed a teacher on home assignment pending an investigation into a tweet suggesting fellow teachers set up segregated seating in classes to separate masked from unmasked students.
“Teachers some best practice for you to implement for March 21: classrooms with a segregated seating plan. Students split into masked/unmasked sections. HEPA filters placed between the two,” Peter Hasek tweeted. “Parents who choose to mask their kids will appreciate your consideration.”
tap here to see other videos from our team.
TDSB teacher under investigation after mask segregation tweet Back to video
tap here to see other videos from our team.
In his twitter bio, Hasek describes himself as a “proud parent of a TDSB student and also a proud TDSB teacher for over 20 years.”
The school board was quick to respond.
“We strongly disagree with this social media post,” TDSB spokesperson Ryan Bird said in an emailed statement. “The opinion shared by this staff member does not reflect the position of the Toronto District School Board and this will not be happening in any of our classrooms.”
It is not known at which school Hasek teaches.
“The teacher in question will be put on home assignment pending the outcome of an investigation,” the board said.
Some families say they are fed up with mask mandates and protocols in schools.
“Certain school boards are adamantly trying to keep masks and all present COVID safety measures in schools after March 21,” Bronwyn Alsop, of the Ontario Families Coalition, wrote in a petition she launched. “All school boards need to follow the same guidelines.”
TDSB is awaiting word from the Chief Medical Officer of Health about its request for a possible extension to mask mandates – beyond Mar 21.
tap here to see other videos from our team.
Its letter to Dr. Kieran Moore asked – among other things – that the “TDSB be allowed additional time to remove COVID-19 measures in schools.”
The board has requested a response by March 16 – the middle of March Break.
The move to ditch mandatory masks was slammed earlier this week by teachers’ unions.
“Lifting the mask mandate too soon may result in further disruption to in-person learning and negative impacts on the health and safety of ETFO members, students, and their families,” said Karen Brown, President, Elementary Teachers’ Federation of Ontario (ETFO) earlier this week. “Ontarians deserve stability and safety, not more chaos.”
tap here to see other videos from our team.
Alsop wrote she wants the government’s timetable respected.
“It is urgent that our children have a full return to normalcy,” she said. “Our children have been subjected to extreme safety measures such as masking, cohorting and distancing for too long.”
Postmedia is committed to maintaining a lively but civil forum for discussion. Please keep comments relevant and respectful. Comments may take up to an hour to appear on the site. You will receive an email if there is a reply to your comment, an update to a thread you follow or if a user you follow comments. Visit our Community Guidelines for more information.