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Teacher admits to professional misconduct

Hal Blackwater resigned from School District 92 following complaints
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A former Nass Valley teacher has admitted to professional misconduct following two incidents involving the discipline of students.

The incidents date back to 2014 with middle school teacher Hal Blackwater, at the time employed by School District 92.

On Jan. 21 Blackwater was first believed to be in violation of the Teachers Act when, according to the Consent Resolution Agreement, he was visibly angry when spotted confronting two female Grade 8 students in the school office. Both students later reported being afraid. One was crying while the other was yelled at three times, with Blackwater saying, “who do you think you are?”

In the second incident dating from Oct. 28, 2014, Blackwater found two students looking through another student’s backpack, and then “chose to teach them a lesson” by rummaging through theirs in front of the class. The students reported feeling humiliated as Blackwater commented on the contents of their bags, at one point holding up a crumpled work assignment and remarking, “Look what I found—toilet paper.”

Following this second incident Blackwater was suspended with pay the next day, pending a completion of an investigation. He subsequently resigned from the district in June 2015.

However the Commissioner for Teacher Regulation determined a Consent Resolution Agreement was justified, in which Blackwater acknowledged his conduct and the described events were true, and constituted professional misconduct.

Blackwater was reprimanded for his actions, meaning the incidents will be attached to Blackwater’s permanent public record.