B.C. teacher reprimanded for holding knife against student's hand

A B.C. teacher that held a knife against the hand of a Grade 5 student has been reprimanded for professional misconduct. The B.C. Commissioner for Teacher Regulation found that while Danion Shemar Barker was not aggressive and did not intend to intimidate the student, his behaviour...

B.C. teacher reprimanded for holding knife against student's hand

A B.C. teacher that held a knife against the hand of a Grade 5 student has been reprimanded for professional misconduct.

The B.C. Commissioner for Teacher Regulation found that while Danion Shemar Barker was not aggressive and did not intend to intimidate the student, his behaviour constituted professional misconduct.

According to a recently published June 24, 2021, B.C. Commissioner for Teacher Regulation decision, Barker was teaching at an undisclosed school in Delta when the incident happened in 2019.

The decision says Barker had an eight-inch knife, with a four-inch blade in the classroom which he used to peel an orange.

The Grade 5 teacher had tried to hide the knife from his student but towards the end of class a student spotted it and asked why the teacher had a knife in the classroom.

According to the decision, Barker then picked up the knife and held the blade against the back of the student’s fingers for one or two seconds.

Doing so, left a "mark or scratch" akin to a paper cut on the student's hand. This injury did not require any medical attention.

Barker admitted to the incident.

"What was happening was just friendly discussion and goofing around," he said in the decision.

Barker said he was trying to bond with the students, but "took it too far" and got "caught up in the heat of the moment."

He apologized to the student and the student's mother later that day.

While Barker admitted to his behaviour, he disputes that the knife left a "mark or scratch."

The decision said Barker made lengthy submissions arguing that the Commissioner had insufficient evidence to prove the knife left the "mark or scratch" and that there are "equally plausible alternative explanations."

However, the Commissioner dismissed the teacher's claims, saying immediately after the incident the teacher said he believed his action had caused the "mark or scratch."

"There is no equally plausible alternative explanation," the Commissioner said in the decision.

The decision said while Barker may not have intended harm to his student the incident did cause suffering and emotional harm for the student.

"There was no suggestion that (Barker) had behaved aggressively, with intent to intimidate, angrily, or in a threatening way before or after that almost instantaneous period of time," the decision reads. "Every account of the incident and of (Barker's) behaviour indicated that the (teacher) and the students were engaged in a friendly, playful discussion immediately prior to the incident, and that (Barker) took responsibility for making a serious mistake immediately after it occurred."

The decision said that Barker's action fell into the category of a serious, but brief lapse of judgment that created a risk of real harm.

The Commissioner found Barker to have committed professional misconduct but had not breached a standard that teachers are role models that act who act ethically and honestly.

The decision said any penalty will take place at a later date.

However, the decision said Barker is no longer a registered teacher after he let his licence expire in November 2020.

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