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
What weather experts say to expect this summer in Canada
Get ready to feel the heat, Canada. Weather experts are predicting more sunshine and warmer temperatures for the summer.
New COVID-19 subvariants become the dominant strains in Canada
More than four years after COVID-19 effectively shut down the world, two new variants of COVID-19 have become the dominant strains of the novel coronavirus in Canada.
Israel sends tanks into Rafah on raids amid Gaza-wide offensive
Israeli tanks mounted raids across Rafah in defiance of the World Court for a second day on Wednesday, after Washington said the assault did not amount to a major ground operation in the southern Gazan city that U.S. officials have warned Israel to avoid.
Tessa Virtue reveals she's expecting her first child. Here's what Canadians had to say
Canadian figure-skating icon Tessa Virtue is expecting her first child, she revealed via social media Tuesday.
Five more Ontario school boards join lawsuit against social media platforms
Five additional Ontario school boards and two independent private schools have joined a lawsuit against the owners of multiple social media platforms, including Snapchat, TikTok, and Facebook.
P.E.I. kiteboarder 'lucky to be alive' after shark attack in Turks and Caicos
A professional kiteboarder from P.E.I. says he has been seriously injured in a shark attack that occurred while he was snorkelling in the Turks and Caicos Islands last week.
'Unruly passenger' forces WestJet flight to make emergency landing in B.C.
A WestJet flight heading to Calgary had to make an emergency landing in northern B.C. Monday due to an incident involving an 'unruly passenger,' Mounties say.
In bizarre provocation, North Korea flies trash, manure balloons over the South
North Korea flew hundreds of balloons carrying trash and manure toward South Korea in one of its most bizarre provocations against its rival in years, prompting the South’s military to mobilize chemical and explosive response teams to recover objects and debris in different parts of the country.
Introducing peanut butter during infancy can help protect against a peanut allergy later on, new study finds
New evidence suggests that feeding children smooth peanut butter during infancy and early childhood can help reduce their risk of developing a peanut allergy even years later.