Okanagan teacher reprimanded for advising parents to revoke misbehaving student's privileges

An Okanagan middle school teacher has been formally reprimanded after admitting making “disrespectful” comments about one student and failing to maintain boundaries with another.

Miko McGrady, a veteran educator employed by School District No. 67 in the South Okanagan, was disciplined by the BC Commissioner of Teacher Regulation for two incidents that occurred in 2023.

The first one concerned an email McGrady sent to a student in his class – referred to as "Student A" in the report – that he had “concerns about.”

McGrady told the student’s parents that their child “was capable of being a good student” but was “wasting their own time” and “warming a seat while distracting others.”

He added that the parents might consider an online math program or homeschooling and that, if the child were his own, he’d consider taking away “some or all” of the youngster’s “privileges.”

According to the Commissioner’s report, released this week, McGrady’s comments made the student’s mother feel as though they were “bad parents.”

The second incident concerned a Grade 8 student in McGrady’s class who asked to go to the washroom.

McGrady assented but asked the child – referred to as “Student B” in the report – to leave their cell phone in their locker.

The student did not leave the phone, prompting McGrady to dispatch two other students to “go and look” for Student B.

They soon returned, telling the teacher they knew where Student B was. McGrady then gave the students his own phone with the camera activated and “sent them out to find and photograph Student B accessing their personal cell phone without permission.”

According to the report, they found the student but did not take a picture.

As a consequence of the incidents listed above, McGrady was sent on a professional boundaries course.

The teacher had previously been disciplined by the district for behaving inappropriately with his students, including using “inappropriate language” in 2010.

The Commissioner, meanwhile, ruled that McGrady’s actions constitute professional misconduct deserving of a reprimand.

“McGrady had been previously told by the District to conduct himself in a respectful manner with his students and to be mindful of the importance of maintaining professional boundaries,” the report explains.

“McGrady’s communication with Student A’s parents did not improve the learning situation for Student A and was disrespectful towards both Student A and Student A’s parents.”

It added: “McGrady frankly acknowledged that he made errors.”