Teacher suspended for showing‘ inappropriate’ films

A B.C. teacher was suspended for two days for showing students films about puppets drawing skulls, caressing kettles and dead stick figure children, a July 16 B.C. Commissioner for Teacher Regulation document says.

James Douglas Thwaites was working as a teacher on call in the Nechako Lakes School District in January 2018 when he showed a Grade 7/8 class some “inappropriate short films.”

“One called Salad Fingers featured an animated character who says ‘the feeling of rust against my salad fingers is almost orgasmic’ followed by “I must caress your rusty kettle.”

The second film was called Don’t Hug Me I’m Scared which shows puppets drawing skulls, then trying to glue glitter on an anatomical heart, cutting a pie made of bloody meat and writing out the word death,” Commissioner Howard Kushner wrote.

“The third video was called the ASDF movie which depicts stick characters including one female stabbing each other in a fit of jealousy, and then a number of dead stick children.”

“Students reported finding these films weird, creepy and inappropriate,” Kushner wrote.

The decision said Thwaites discussed his divorce and the fact he was dating a woman from overseas as well as asking one student how his girlfriends were, saying, “Oh, you’re such a player.”

Thwaites resigned March 16, 2018, and two months later completed the Reinforcing Respectful Professional Boundaries course through the Justice Institute of B.C. Kushner’s decision said Thwaites acknowledged he demonstrated poor judgment with students.

The suspension was made retroactive, as Thwaites is currently teaching in a remote community where students would be adversely affected by a current suspension.

Thwaites signed the document in Yekooche, 200 kilometres northwest of Prince George.