The union that represents a group of teachers who allegedly created a toxic environment at a Montreal elementary school says it will help defend those of its members whose teaching licences have been fully revoked.

In an internal statement sent to its members, the Alliance des professeures et professeurs de Montréal said it “has taken note of the decisions made by the Ministry of Education regarding the revocation of teaching licences from certain members of the Bedford school.”

In a statement to CBC, the ministry declined to comment on specific cases, saying only that an investigation was ongoing, but confirmed some of the teachers’ licences have been revoked. 

“In the Bedford school case, investigative committees have been formed and are required to carry out rigorous work involving various legal and administrative procedures,” the ministry’s statement said.

Initially, their licences were suspended following a report that said they were creating a toxic learning environment at Bedford Elementary School, in Montreal’s Côte-des-Neiges neighbourhood, by failing to teach some subjects, like sex education and science, shouting at students and denying learning disabilities, among other allegations.

Some of the actions outlined in that report sparked concerns that teachers at the school were imposing their religious views on students.

Since then, the Coalition Avenir Québec has tabled several pieces of legislation aimed at strengthening secularism, including Bill 94 and Bill 9.

In its statement, the union said it would defend those of the teachers who wished to contest the Education Ministry’s decision to revoke their teaching licences.

“We also expect a media release from the Coalition Avenir Québec, which, true to form, will fuel public debate by focusing on popular and populist themes such as secularism and hostility toward unions,” the union’s statement said.

“We do not defend the indefensible, but we demand that the principles of natural justice be respected, without compromise. Consequently, we cannot comment on the legitimacy of decisions.”

WATCH | Students speak out about latest secularism bill:

‘People will still pray,’ say some students of Quebec secularism bill banning prayer rooms on campus

November 27|

With measures that include a ban on some forms of public prayer and the wearing of religious symbols by daycare workers, Quebec’s Bill 9 would have significant effects on many institutions and the people who frequent or work in them, including universities.