Montreal-area teacher suspended over showing his hip hop music video to students allowed to teach again
A Montreal-area high school teacher who moonlights as a rapper will be back at work after a three-week suspension for showing one of his music videos to his students.
Chad Ashe, who teaches at Howard S. Billings Regional High School in Châteauguay, Que., said he asked his students to share 10 things about themselves to get to know them better. In return, he showed them the video for his song Wahala to open up to his class.
“I gave 10 things that they should know about me. One of them was I'm a recording artist and, obviously, the kids were so curious,” he said in an interview with CTV News.
Music, he said, has always played a big role in his life.
“Everything that I do always reports back to making music. I kind of went into teaching because of music.”
In the video, Ashe and his girlfriend are seen hanging out by the pool. He said nothing came from it until he received a phone call on Nov. 12 saying he was suspended.
“I thought it was a joke,” he said.
The New Frontiers School Board said it was parents who expressed concerns, but officials declined to provide further details.
The board confirmed that he will return to the classroom on Monday.
“One parent complains — that’s fine. They’re allowed to complain, but I should also be able to talk to the parent where we can find a middle ground,” he said Friday.
There's been a lot of support for Ashe. A parent of one of his students started an online petition that has collected more than 1,000 signatures.
Ashe said he plans on filing a grievance through his union.
“I’ve got to go fight for my name. It's very damaging. One accusation can ruin your career,” he said.
In the meantime, he said he’ll continue doing what he loves most — teaching and recording music.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
'My family doctor just fired me': Ontario patients frustrated with de-rostering
Dozens of Ontarians are expressing frustration in the province’s health-care system after their family doctors either dropped them as patients or threatened to after they sought urgent care elsewhere.
'He's in our hearts': Family and friends still seek answers one year after Nathan Wise’s disappearance
It’s been a year since Nathan Wise went missing and his family is no closer to finding out what happened to him.
Ottawa pizzeria places among top 20 deep-dish pizzas in the world at international competition
An Ottawa pizzeria is being recognized as one of the top 20 deep-dish pizzas in the world.
Canada Post cracks down on Nunavut loophole to get free Amazon Prime shipping
Amazon's paid subscription service provides free delivery for online shopping across Canada except for remote locations, the company said in an email. While customers in Iqaluit qualify for the offer, all other communities in Nunavut are excluded.
Mother's Day movies that pull at ALL the heartstrings
This Mother's Day Weekend, take a look at some of the most emotional movies inspired by moms.
Suspect sought after fatal slashing in downtown Toronto
Police are searching for a suspect in a homicide investigation after a man was slashed in downtown Toronto on Sunday.
Edibles, armchairs and adapters: Here are the recalls for this week
Health Canada announced various product recalls this week, including electric adapters, armchairs, cannabis edibles and vehicle components.
Putin replaces Russian defence minister in rare cabinet shakeup
Russia’s President Vladimir Putin began a Cabinet shakeup on Sunday, proposing the replacement of Sergei Shoigu as defence minister as he begins his fifth term in office.
WATCH Dashcam video shows terrifying near-miss on two-lane northern Ontario highway
There were some scary moments for several people on a northern Ontario highway caught on video Thursday after a chain reaction following a truck fire.