B.C. anti-vax teacher suspended for disrupting vaccine clinic

An anti-vax teacher has been suspended for 12 days after he went into a tirade at a school vaccination clinic calling the shots "experimental, dangerous and poisonous."

According to a Jan. 9 B.C. Commissioner for Teacher Regulation decision, Patrick James Nelson was teaching at a School District No. 82 Coast Mountains school in northwestern B.C. in October 2021 when the local health authority set up a COVID-19 vaccination clinic.

The decision said the clinic was for students legally able to make decisions for themselves and were encouraged to attend the clinic in order to get vaccinated.

Nelson wasn't happy with the clinic and left his class unattended and "angrily interrupted and disrupted the vaccination clinic."

The anti-vaxxer then used a "raised and angry voice" to speak to health-care staff.

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He said that health-care staff had "no legal right to immunize students without parental permission," and went on to call the vaccine "experimental, dangerous and poisonous."

He stated the vaccine should not be used and called the health authority staff "unethical" before saying "they should be ashamed of themselves" for offering vaccines to students.

"Nelson’s tone and anger were such that a school staff member called for assistance from the school’s administration. Some students were upset and had to be removed from the cafeteria," the decision said.

One health-care employee then attempted to calm Nelson down.

"Nelson approached the nurse without wearing a mask over his nose and mouth, contrary to the District’s COVID-19 protocols, and proceeded to yell and point his finger in the nurse’s face," the decision said. "During this interaction, the nurse and Mr. Nelson were eight to 10 centimetres apart which was not consistent with the (School) District’s physical distancing safety protocols."

READ MORE: B.C. anti-vaxxer loses case against union, again

Several months later the school district suspended him for 12 days and ordered him to write a letter of apology to the clinic staff.

"Nelson failed to model appropriate behaviour expected of an educator," the decision read.

He was also made to attend a meeting with affected students and staff at the school and complete a Reinforcing Respectful Professional Boundaries and Human Relations course.

Nelson signed a consent resolution agreement admitting his behaviour constituted professional misconduct.

The teaching regulator mandated Nelson complete the course, Conflict Resolution: An Introduction.

The decision said this wasn't the first time he's been disciplined.

In 2019, he swore in front of his class in frustration and was made to have regular meetings with the principal to discuss "behaviour management strategies."

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