'Shoot you all': B.C. teacher's classroom joke results in reprimand
![SCHOOL SCHOOL](/content/dam/ctvnews/en/images/2020/8/11/school-1-5060611-1627393234736.jpg)
A teacher from B.C.'s Southern Interior who jokingly told a class he would shoot them if they didn't ace an upcoming test has been reprimanded for professional misconduct.
The incident is detailed in a consent agreement between Brian John Carmichael and the B.C. Commissioner for Teacher Regulation.
Carmichael was working for the Gold Trail school district when he made the remark to a math class composed of Grade 7, 8 and 9 students in January 2023.
"I'm going to have to shoot you all," he said, kidding about the consequences of underperforming on the test.
The consent agreement acknowledges Carmichael was not being serious, but noted the joking nature of his comment was "not apparent" to all of the children in his class.
"One student reported feeling uncomfortable and wanting to leave the classroom immediately, another was unsure if Carmichael was being serious, and a third reported feeling concerned and confused," the document reads.
The same month, Carmichael told his class an anecdote about the mother of a former student – who was a distant relative of his – telling him he could give the pupil a "bare-bottom spank" as a punishment for potential misbehaviour.
The school district issued a letter of discipline to Carmichael in February 2023, and the B.C. Commissioner for Teacher Regulation reviewed the circumstances of his conduct and gave him a reprimand as well in April 2024.
In addition, Carmichael was ordered to complete a course entitled, "Creating a Positive Learning Environment."
In deciding the appropriate punishment, the commissioner noted that Carmichael had been "previously cautioned about his use of language" and that his joke about shooting his math class "had the effect of endangering the emotional safety of students."
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
![](https://www.ctvnews.ca/polopoly_fs/1.6973608.1721691615!/httpImage/image.png_gen/derivatives/landscape_800/image.png)
2nd woman found dead in English Bay: Vancouver police
For the second time in as many days, a woman's body was found near Vancouver's shoreline Monday.
2 Albertans accused of threatening to kill Trudeau, Freeland, Singh
Men from Edmonton and Calgary are accused of threatening to kill some of Canada's top government leaders.
Athletes show off stylish and expensive team clothing for the 2024 Olympic Games
Canadian athletes attempting to reach the podium at the Paris 2024 Olympic Games will also be looking fashionable for the entire world to see.
Harris has support of enough Democratic delegates to become party's presidential nominee: AP survey
Vice-President Kamala Harris has secured the support of enough Democratic delegates to become her party's nominee against Republican Donald Trump, according to an Associated Press survey taken in the aftermath of President Joe Biden's decision to drop his bid for re-election.
Four suicides in New Zealand linked to Ontario's Kenneth Law
New Zealand's coroner has ruled that four of its citizens died after ordering products from an Ontario man who is facing murder charges for selling poisonous substances.
Toronto woman charged with voyeurism after taking 'intimate' photos during massage: police
A Toronto woman who allegedly took 'intimate' photos of an individual who was getting a massage has been charged with voyeurism, police say.
IN PICTURES Here's what Calgary's new event centre 'Scotia Place' will look like
The name of Calgary’s new event centre was unveiled on Monday. The arena will be called Scotia Place.
Harris steps into the limelight. And the coconut trees and memes have followed
If you're trying to get up to speed on Vice President Kamala Harris' swift emergence as Democrats' possible nominee this fall, you really need to know your memes.
These are the four leading vice-presidential picks for Kamala Harris' campaign
No one knows the importance of selecting the right running mate better than Vice President Kamala Harris.