Quebec teacher fired after taking leave to be on 'Survivor' reality TV series
A school teacher who took part in the Quebec version of the Survivor reality TV show took time off work to be a contestant is now out of a job.
Survivor Québec isn't that different from the original American series — 20 local participants fight to be the last survivor on a tropical island by trying not to get booted off by fellow teammates.
Déborah De Braekeleer is holding her own during season two but she happens to be a school teacher at an elementary school in St-Hyacinthe and she got fired for taking unauthorized time off — a shame, according to the teachers' union.
"It sends the message … that if you work as a teacher, forget about it. For whatever experience you may live during the school year," said union president Patrick Theroux.
The union says De Braekeleer did find substitute teachers to cover her two-month leave but local school service centre the Centre de services scolaire de St-Hyacinthe never approved her plan so it fired the 39-year-old for insubordination.
In St-Hyacinthe, people are divided over the decision, with some saying her job should have come first but firing her was a bit harsh, especially considering the show's visibility.
In fact, there's another teacher on the show. Gwladys Breault works at Collège de Montréal, a private high school in Montreal. It not only kept her on staff, but is promoting her achievements among students.
"If I can say it, they use her as a model," Theroux said.
But if one was turned into a model, the union leader says, De Braekeleer was made to be an example. School staff wouldn't comment on the situation and asked CTV News to leave.
The school service centre now says that De Braekeleer is free to continue teaching but as a substitute teacher.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
More Canadians are moving to the U.S. Here's one of the main reasons, according to an immigration expert
Recent data from the U.S. census revealed that more than 126,000 people moved from Canada to the U.S. in 2022. An expert said that one of the main reasons for this move is the cost of living.
'They need this protection': Trudeau gov't re-offers $1.5M for enhanced Pride security in Canada
For the second year, the federal government is offering up to $1.5M to Pride organizations across the country to fund enhanced security measures, amid a continued rise in anti-LGBTQ2S+ hate.
Her gut was producing alcohol. Doctors didn't believe her
For two years doctors told her she was an alcoholic. Then they realized her gut was making alcohol from carbohydrates, a rare condition called auto-brewery syndrome.
Prospective jurors in Hunter Biden's firearms case questioned on gun rights, addiction
A federal gun case against U.S. President Joe Biden’s son Hunter opened Monday with jury selection, following the collapse of a plea deal that would have avoided the spectacle of a trial so close the 2024 election.
AFN national chief blasts governments' inaction on fifth anniversary of MMIWG report
On the fifth anniversary of a national inquiry's report into missing and murdered Indigenous women and girls, the national chief of the Assembly of First Nations is blasting all levels of government for what she calls slow progress to stop the crisis.
Toyota apologizes for cheating on vehicle testing and halts production of three models
Toyota Chairman Akio Toyoda apologized Monday for massive cheating on certification tests for seven vehicle models as the automaker suspended production of three of them.
Crews searching for 3 missing mountaineers near Squamish, B.C.
A search effort has been launched for a trio of mountain climbers who were reported overdue after not returning from their excursion near Squamish, B.C.
Katy Perry 'fixed' Harrison Butker's controversial commencement speech
Katy Perry has reimagined a recent commencement speech by Kansas City Chiefs kicker Harrison Butker that was criticized as homophobic and sexist.
Remains of infamous king identified, and other stories from a Canadian DNA detective
Turi King takes pride in her work solving ancient and modern-day DNA puzzles – including a centuries-old mystery involving an infamous British king.