B.C. teacher suspended for showing Grade 5 kids ‘disturbing’ Halloween video

A B.C. elementary school teacher who played his Grade 5 class a "disturbing" Halloween video and then told the regulator a series of lies has had his teaching certificate suspended for two weeks.

According to a Sept 8 B.C. Commissioner for Teaching Regulation decision Austin Osazuwa Uzama was teaching Grade 5 at an independent school in Maple Ridge when he played the class YouTube video at lunchtime, called "Jalal’s Scary Hallowe’en Prank 3."

"This Video was not age appropriate, and contained disturbing scenes which were scary to some students," the decision reads. "While Uzama was showing the video, some students covered their ears and turned away from the video. One student was impacted by the video for days."

Uzama was also found to have committed professional misconduct for telling students that "the girls are going to kick the boys’ asses today" during a physical education class.

On another occasion, he disciplined students in the class in front of their classmates "which demeaned and embarrassed the students" that were being disciplined.

Uzama started working at the independent school in September 2018 but didn't last long and was fired in November 2018.

The decision says Uzama also made a series of untrue statements to the regulator and a previous employer.

In 2016 he told the Delta school district he'd started a diploma in Teaching English and French as a second language.

"Uzama knew this statement was not true when he made it, as he had never applied for entry into such a program nor taken a course in such a program," the decision says.

He then made more dishonest statements in 2019 about what took place while he was teaching at the independent school.

Again in 2021, Uzama was dishonest when he was interviewed during the investigation.

"He stated that he had been awarded a Graduate Certificate in Child and Youth Mental Health by Thompson Rivers University in 2016. Uzama knew this statement was not true when he made it," the decision says.

He then said he'd never been investigated or interviewed related to his teaching, when in fact he'd been interviewed in three investigations at the Delta school district in 2017 and 2018. The decision does not say what those investigations were about.

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And the lies didn't stop there.

He once stated he held a teaching certificate in Japan to teach Kindergarten to Grade 12, when he didn't.

He also lied about a physical assault.

"Uzama stated that the parent of a student slapped his face at the grade seven graduation night, while he was standing next to the principal and vice-principal," The decision says. "He knew this statement was not true when he made it."

Uzama agreed his behaviour constituted professional misconduct and signed a consent resolution agreement with the regulator.

The decision doesn't say whether Uzama is still teaching, but his certificate of qualification was suspended for two weeks effective Oct. 1 to Oct. 14.

He will also have to complete a Creating a Positive Learning Environment course and provide proof of its completion.

"Uzama failed to create a positive learning environment for students when he did not treat them with respect and dignity," the regulator said. "Uzama gave false information during the investigation under the Teachers Act and also gave false and misleading information to a prospective employer."

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