A shop teacher in the Maple Ridge and Pitt Meadows school district, who allowed unsafe situations in his classrooms, has been disciplined by the BC Commissioner for Teacher Regulation.
On Dec. 11, 2018, Dale Richard Ablett allowed four students to spend approximately half an hour hanging out in a vehicle that was lifted on a hoist, seven feet in the air, with the kids inside. They were listening to music.
He had already been directed, after an incident in 2013, to ensure students were not in cars on the hoist. The district had previously raised concerns with the teacher.
A consent resolution agreement, signed last month, said he failed to maintain a safe and clean learning environment. The shop was cluttered and messy with chairs, with hoses and tires strewn on the floor. He had been warned in 2016, 2017, and again in 2018 about the safety hazards of an untidy shop – with tools and vehicle parts left lying around as tripping hazards.
Ablett also failed to lock and secure doors to the shop, and had allowed a cutting machine to be used with no curtain to prevent sparks flying.
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In June of 2019 he was given a letter of discipline from School District 42, and suspended for a day without pay.
He was also ordered to complete a course through the Justice Institute called “Creating a Positive Learning Environment.” And, he was directed to keep a safe and clean shop.
Ablett has admitted to this conduct, and agreed it constituted professional misconduct.
The shop teacher will serve a three-day suspension in March of 2021.
ncorbett@mapleridgenews.com
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