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
Spectacular aurora light show to be seen across Canada Friday night
A rare and severe solar storm is expected to bring spectacular displays of the northern lights, also known as aurora borealis, across much of Canada and parts of the United States on Friday night.
Town of Fort Nelson, B.C., ordered to evacuate due to wildfire
The entire town of Fort Nelson, B.C., as well as the nearby Fort Nelson First Nation, has been ordered to evacuate due to an out-of-control wildfire.
Bouchard lifts Edmonton Oilers to 4-3 overtime win over Canucks in Game 2
Evan Bouchard scored 5:38 into overtime and the Edmonton Oilers bounced back for a 4-3 win over the Vancouver Canucks in the second round of the Stanley Cup playoffs on Friday.
McGill University seeks emergency injunction to dismantle pro-Palestinian encampment
McGill University has filed a request for an injunction to have the pro-Palestinian encampment removed from its campus.
Which Canadian cities have the highest and lowest grocery prices?
Where you live plays a big factor in what you pay at the grocery store. And while it's no secret the same item may have a different price depending on the store, city or province, we wanted to see just how big the differences are, and why.
Swarm of 20,000 bees gather around woman’s car west of Toronto
A swarm of roughly 20,000 bees gathered around a woman’s car in the parking lot of Burlington Centre.
Video shows naked raccoon catching B.C. family by surprise
When Marvin Henschel spotted a strange and hairless creature wandering through a front lawn in B.C.'s Lower Mainland, he could barely believe his eyes.
Barron Trump declines to serve as an RNC delegate
Former U.S. President Donald Trump's youngest son, Barron Trump, has declined to serve as a delegate at this summer’s Republican National Convention, according to a senior Trump campaign adviser and a statement from Melania Trump's office.
Out-of-control wildfire prompts evacuation alert for Fort McMurray, Saprae Creek Estates Friday night
An evacuation alert was issued for two Wood Buffalo communities Friday night, as crews battled an out-of-control wildfire near Fort McMurray.