Union fines city teacher for saying he’ll ‘knock out’ student
Incident in 2015 at Bishop Grandin soccer game was videoed by student
A Calgary teacher caught on video threatening to “knock out” a student and swearing at him has been reprimanded by the Alberta Teachers’ Association.
High-school teacher Ron Robichaud must pay a $500 fine after pleading guilty to three counts of unprofessional conduct by failing to treat a student with dignity and respect.
The confrontation happened at an April 2015 soccer game at Bishop Grandin High School when Robichaud asked an unruly student spectator to leave the benches.
Although the student was taunting Robichaud, “The teacher’s got to be the one who takes the higher ground,” said Marvin Hackman, who presented evidence to the association’s professional conduct committee Monday in Edmonton.
The committee watched a video of part of the confrontation, captured by the student.
In it, Robichaud is standing on a field and says, “I’ll f---ing knock you out. I don’t know who you are. You’re threatening me.”
He then says, “sh-boom” while stepping toward the student and stomping on the ground.
The student, who attended the game with a friend from another school, repeatedly tells Robichaud he’s recording the incident and wants other people to see how a teacher threatened to hurt him.
Robichaud tells the student he asked him to leave.
“We’ll see you in the principal’s office on Monday,” Robichaud said before the video ends.
The Calgary Police Service did not receive a report of the incident.
Robichaud has taught with Calgary Catholic Schools since 2000.
He was coaching a soccer team and the only staff member on site when other soccer spectators began to get upset by the student’s behaviour, Hackman said.
Hackman did not explain what the student did to provoke the confrontation.
The association will not release an agreed statement of facts submitted to committee members during the hearing.
Hackman said Robichaud’s unprofessional behaviour was an isolated incident.
Robichaud told the committee he came to the hearing to take responsibility for his actions.
The teacher is still employed with Calgary Catholic Schools, district spokeswoman Karen Ryhorchuk said.
This district will not say where or what he teaches, or whether he was disciplined internally.
Robichaud did not respond to requests for comment.
The student who was threatened, along with the father of another student who witnessed the incident, attended the hearing Monday, but did not comment on the outcome.