BC teacher banged stick on desk, told pupils they were ‘bickering like a couple’

A BC elementary school teacher who banged a wooden stick on students’ desks to get their attention and told arguing pupils they were “bickering like a couple,” has been issued a public reprimand.

According to an April 7 BC Commissioner for Teacher Regulation decision, elementary school teacher Peter William Gentile also told a twin that their twin was the better-looking of the two, and told another student they’d “break the camera” if filmed.

“Gentile failed to maintain a positive, safe, and inclusive learning environment for students,” the Commissioner for Teacher Regulation said in the decision. 

The decision says Gentile was teaching a Grade 5 class during the 2024/2025 school year when the incidents happened.

“When students in his class were not listening, Gentile asked them whether they wanted to ‘go to the chokey,’ a reference from a movie called Matilda where the principal put misbehaving kids in a closet with spikes as a means of discipline,” the decision reads. 

He also told a female student that they “could use some exercise.”

In another incident, when a female student wasn’t listening, he “inappropriately” patted his lap and said, “Please, come and see me.”

In February 2025, the Chilliwack School Board suspended him without pay for three days and ordered him to complete a Creating a Positive Learning Environment course.

Several months beforehand, in December 2024, Gentile was given a written warning for inappropriate and unprofessional communication with secondary school students.

It’s not known how long Gentile has been teaching, but his BC teaching certificate was issued in 2024.

After the incidents, the school district passed the file to the Commissioner for Teacher Regulation.

Gentile signed a consent agreement with the regulator who issued the public reprimand.

He also has to take a Reinforcing Respectful Professional Boundaries course, which, if not completed by September, will result in his licence being suspended.