(Jamaica Gleaner) A Pembroke Hall High teacher’s fate hangs in the balance after she was videotaped on Thursday hurling death threats repeatedly at a student in a tirade that drew widespread public outrage, triggering an investigation by school authorities and the Ministry of Education.
The Rev Claude Ellis, the principal, said administrators would rely on the Education Regulations, 1980 – a code outlining disciplinary and other procedures, in probing the incident.
“I can’t speak to possible sanctions, but what I know is that the code of regulations outlines what are the procedures that are followed when there are instances at school where there are any … issues, whether it be student to student, student to teacher, student to parent,” Ellis told The Gleaner from his offices at the suburban St Andrew school.
It is uncertain if the matter is the subject of a police investigation. Attempts to speak with Senior Superintendent Jacqueline Coombs, head of St Andrew Central, and Assistant Commissioner Devon Watkis, head of the Area Four police, were unsuccessful, as calls to their mobile phones yesterday went unanswered.
In the nearly two-and-a-half-minute amateur video, which went viral Thursday night, the teacher, Marsha Lee Crawford, sought to reprimand a schoolboy for talking out of turn while class was in session. She then went ballistic.
“Mi wi kill you in yah bwoy,” the teacher is heard telling the student in the video.
In response, the student is alleged to have raised his voice at the teacher, further infuriating her.
“Weh yah shout after mi fah? Mi look like you mumma?” she asked.
The boy later retorted, asking the teacher why was she was referencing his mother.
The enraged teacher threatened to assault and kill the child.
“Yuh nuh have nuh sense! Nuh come in yah, ‘cause mi nuh play wid pickney.
“First of all, mi mash up pickney head in here,” she said. “Mi wi murder you inna diss.”
The student was subsequently chased out of the classroom.
Minister with responsibility for education, youth and information, Karl Samuda, yesterday chided the teacher, saying her conduct was “unacceptable” and had “no place in our schools”.
Reports are that Thursday’s incident was not the first time the teacher had made such outbursts.
“What I am prepared to say is that we have collected the reports from the relevant persons. The ministry personnel is aware of it, as well as our board chairman,” said Ellis when asked about prior allegations of misconduct.
He did, however, say that Crawford’s threats were unprecedented in his two and a half years at the institution.
Ellis told The Gleaner that he has since met with the parent of the child.
“I have met with the parent. We have had good amicable discussions and the parents are supportive of the school and willing to cooperate with the school,” the principal said.
The Jamaica Teachers’ Association (JTA) has described the incident as unfortunate.
Samuda yesterday warned public-school teachers to act with professionalism and decorum, notwithstanding challenges dealing with difficult or uncooperative students.
The ministry further said that teachers are held to high standards and must demonstrate ethical behaviour in their interactions with students, colleagues, parents and others.
“School administrators and the governance bodies are being reminded to enable an environment that will promote appropriate behaviours for teachers, parents and students. The ministry urges stakeholders’ cooperation as we endeavour to ensure holistic education for every child,” the ministry said in a statement issued yesterday afternoon.
In a voice note recording obtained by our news team, Crawford sought to explain what transpired before she “lost it” and ripped into the schoolboy.
She said that the boy was earlier permitted to leave the classroom to buy pens for himself and his peers.
According to Crawford, soon after the boy returned, a girl from a nearby classroom came to complain that one of the teacher’s students came to her classroom and may have stolen her phone.
“ … What you saw in the video was when the girl came back from Mr Salmon with the report, handed it back to me, and said Mr Salmon read it … . He was still hurling insults at the girl and shouting at me and that is when I lost it and responded to him, and that is what you saw in the video,” said Crawford.
When contacted, Crawford declined to comment further, saying she was advised not to speak on the matter.