B.C. teacher who singled out students over their breasts, bathroom-use suspended for 5 days

A B.C. high school teacher is facing a five-day suspension and course requirement after making multiple students feel uncomfortable or embarrassed about their bodies—and it’s not the first time he’s been disciplined in the past decade.

Justin Daniel Moses Enns has been the source of multiple concerns raised by the Central Okanagan school district, which he’s been employed with since 2005, according to a disciplinary notice the British Columbia Commissioner for Teacher Regulation posted online Tuesday.

Most recently, Enns' behaviour towards two students in the fall of 2021 led the district to report their concerns to the commissioner.

The following year, after looking into the history of complaints involving the teacher, the commissioner proposed a consent agreement resolution.

MOST RECENT ISSUES

The notice explains that Enns made two students in his Grade 10 math class feel uncomfortable in fall 2021.

One event happened on a hot day and involved a student removing one of two shirts they were wearing and attempting to readjust the bottom layer, which Enns interpreted as that student “cupping and moving their breasts in a sexual manner that was not appropriate in the classroom.”

After Enns called the student up to his desk and asked them to put their shirt back on, the pupil left the classroom out of embarrassment, the notice explains.

When that student returned the classroom later to discuss the matter with Enns, prompted by the concern of two of their fellow students, the teacher grabbed his own chest to demonstrate the inappropriate behaviour.

According to the notice, that fall is also when Enns took issue with two students’ frequent use of the bathroom during class time—so much so that he would ask them to explain in front of the class why they needed to go.

One day, after denying one student’s requests to use the bathroom, that pupil explained to Enns that they were on their period, to which the teacher replied, “You must always be on your period.”

As a result of these two events, Enns was issued a letter of discipline and served a 10-day suspension in May 2022.

One month after he returned to work, the commissioner ordered for an investigation under the Teachers Act.

PREVIOUS CONCERNS

According to the notice, Enns’ professional conduct first raised concerns in 2016, when the teacher was issued a letter of expectation, reminding him to “exercise judgment and sensitivity in monitoring the appropriateness of all subject matter to ensure [his] classroom is a racism-free and discrimination-free environment.”

One year later, the district issued another letter to Enns over his alleged inappropriate interactions with students and parents, and directed the teacher to attend a boundaries workshop.

Then, in February 2019, Enns faced a five-day suspension without pay following allegations that he “hit a metre stick on desks or tables to get students’ attention; showed age-inappropriate videos” and “embarrassed a student in front of the class.”

The district has also informally spoken with Enns on more than one occasion over “his lack of judgement in comments made to his colleagues and in selecting photos for inclusion in the yearbook,” according to the notice.

In addition, two posts Enns retweeted in the fall of 2021 caught the attention of one of his students' parents, who complained to the district that the content was “transphobic in nature.”

According to the notice, the retweets involved a “60 Minutes” segment concerned with “trans identification in teens” as well as a drag queen who was arrested for possession of child pornography.

In a meeting with Enns, the district reminded him to “always consider that parents and students may be viewing his Twitter posts and drawing conclusions as to his own beliefs,” but did not discipline him.

CONSENT AGREEMENT

The commissioner and Enns officially entered a consent agreement on May 12, though the notice of the discipline was only posted Tuesday.

As part of the agreement, Enns has agreed to a five-day suspension of his certificate as of June 5, 2023.

The disciplinary action also includes a commitment from Enns to complete a course on reinforcing respectful professional boundaries by May 31, 2024.

If he fails to do so, the commissioner says Enns may face a suspension until he successfully completes the course.

Factors that guided the commissioner’s decision include Enns’ failure to “create a positive learning environment,” previous warnings he received over inappropriate actions with students, and his decision to retweet Twitter posts that “ raised concerns about his ability to treat students equitably with acceptance, dignity and respect.