A teacher at the centre of a controversy over images that appear to show them wearing large prosthetic breasts in the classroom is no longer working at an Oakville high school but remains employed by the board.
A spokesperson for the Halton District School Board confirmed the news to CP24.com on Thursday.
The spokesperson refused to say when the teacher’s assignment at Oakville Trafalgar High School came to an end, calling it a “personnel matter.”
“While not currently on an active assignment, the teacher remains employed with the HDSB. We continue to support the teacher in partnership with OSSTF,” Heather Francey said.
Photos of the employee inside Oakville Trafalgar High School were first shared online in September and quickly went viral, later making international headlines and becoming fodder for Fox News host Tucker Carlson.
The Halton District School Board initially said that it would be a “liability” to impose a dress code amid public criticism but then pivoted and asked staff to draft a “professionalism policy,” which would include elements of a dress code.
Many parents, however, were frustrated when a draft of that policy affirming “existing expectations regarding staff professionalism” but offering few specific rules was released last week.
Education Minister Stephen Lecce has also criticized the board’s handling of the matter, telling the Toronto star last week that it had “abdicated” its responsibility to students by not acting.
Lecce previously asked the Ontario College of Teachers to review professional conduct provisions to ensure “the highest stands of professionalism in front of our kids.”
