Teacher Responsibility For Student Supervision During Behaviour Escalation

In the recent decision Ontario College of Teachers v Moss, 2022 ONOCT 98 the teachers' regulatory body considered the role of a teacher in responding to student behaviour causing a risk of physical injury.

The Member was assigned to a classroom for students with developmental disabilities. Established routines were a universal teaching practice that provided students support to manage their readiness for learning.

On a particular day, the Member interrupted a student's routine by refusing to allow an educational assistant to give the student a snack. The disruption of the student's routine caused the student to become agitated. The student's behaviour escalated to physical aggression exhibited towards his educational assistants, a child and youth worker, and another teacher in the classroom. The staff tried to calm the student, while the Member remained seated and took no steps to assist with de-escalation or ensuring the safety of the other students in the class.