An on-call Coquitlam teacher has been reprimanded after showing a nine-minute animated film to elementary school students that depicted sexual intercourse and suicide.
Amira Mounir Abraham was working as a teacher on call at the Coquitlam school district in May 9, 2022 when the incident happened.
The district made a report to the B.C. Commissioner for Teacher Regulation on June 7, 2022. That decision was released by commissioner Ana R. Mohammed on Tuesday (Sept. 26).
While substituting at a Grade 2/3 class at a French Immersion school, Abraham decided to play the animated short film “Life is Beautiful.” She hadn’t seen the film before and was unaware of its content.
Abraham was grading while the students watched the film and while she became aware it wasn’t age-appropriate, she continued grading instead of stopping the film.
The district issued Abraham a letter of discipline on June 6, directing her to comply with the district’s standards of conduct and to actively supervise her students and take responsibility for their physical and emotional safety.
She had been previously issued a letter of reprimand by the Coquitlam school district on Feb. 28, 2019 after allegations that Abraham – also working as a teacher on call then – had “failed to adequately supervise” a Kindergarten/Grade 1 class.
Mohammed said Abraham failed to establish a positive learning environment by showing the video and continuing to do so even after she was aware it wasn’t age appropriate. The commissioner added that the students, who were of a particularly vulnerable age, were subjected to the inappropriate content.
As part of the commissioner’s decision, Abraham has to successfully complete the “Creating a Positive Learning Environment” course through the Justice Institute of B.C. by March 31, 2024.