Local attorney calls for review of disciplinary methods in schools
Notable local attorney and former magistrate, Valerie Stephens-Gordon is calling on the Ministry of Education to review the disciplinary practices being enforced in local schools.
Addressing the Magistrate’s Court yesterday, Stephens-Gordon said some of the practices being used by educators across the territory can be considered as criminal offences so the ministry needs to revisit them.
According to the attorney, while some of the disciplinary methods were acceptable in previous years, there has been a global shift and some of these practices have become outdated in the 21st century.
Stephens-Gordon was addressing the court on behalf of her client Tiye Hodge, a former educator at the Ivan Dawson Primary School who pleaded guilty to using a noxious substance in a negligent manner. Back in January 2020, Hodge gave one of her 11-year-old students a substance — believed to be some kind of cleaning agent — to gargle after the child reportedly used indecent and foul language.
Using detergent on foul-mouthed students ingrained in BVI culture?
The attorney said it seems the practice of washing out someone’s mouth with a cleaning agent is something common in the territory and something ingrained in Virgin Islands culture. She noted there may be similar disciplinary actions out there that can be harmful to children that are being deemed as suitable in schools because it was not frowned upon in former years.
In a shocking revelation to the court yesterday, Stephens-Gordon claimed her client was acting on the advice of a superior — the principal of the school. The attorney said Hodge had previously communicated to the principal that the child was using foul language in class and she was not sure how to deal with the situation.
Stephens-Gordon told the court the principal indicated to her client that using Dettol or alcohol to wash out the child’s mouth was an acceptable method of discipline.
The attorney also told the court that the principal reportedly had told Hodge this was a practice she had done when she was teaching at the school in Anegada.
Stephens-Gordon said young professionals are normally told to speak with their superior when they encounter an unmanageable situation in the workplace. She told the court her client did not mean any harm in her actions but was merely using a method encouraged by her superior.
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it’s hard to comprehend that in this day and age that an adult can be so stupid/ and it’s a lucky thing she wasn’t told to do something worse ?
“Ingrained” in culture? For real? Washing a mouth out with traditional hand soap maybe, but toilet bleach, I don’t think so. Would like to see this educator be punished by having her mouth washed out with pinesol and see how she likes it. Disgusting.
Don’t expect anything from the CEO or The Minister – neither of them cares one bit for the children they are supposed to represent.
I was a forward child growing up and use to say all kind of things. My parents nor teachers never once made me wash my mouth with nothing. I use to say anything that could be said. Yes they use to say I need to wash my mouth but never once was it practiced. The back of the classroom use to be mine where I had to stand with book on my head and stand in the corner for the rest of the class facing the wall. A little slap here and there to go with it. So principal tell you an adult to put poison in child mouth and your dumb self going do it? You BVI people always throwing the buck and don’t take responsibility. You miss teacher responsible for the act
The news article at the time said Ms Tonya M. Bertie-Phillip was the Principal. Is she still at the school? Hopefully she gets to take the witness stand to clear her name or explain why she thinks this would be a good idea.
This archaic method of discipline is totally unacceptable! The child could have died or at the have least health problems. It is the responsibility of superiors to be trained and to train subordinates in proper classroom behavior
management! Come into the 21st century!
The method of disciplinary action that was employed by the teacher and principal are not accepted in the VI school system. That is why the teacher is facing disciplinary action. There is no proof that such actions are common in the VI so the lawyer was simply being intentional. She tried to make it seem as though her client should not be held responsible because it is something that most teachers are doing. That is absolutely FALSE!
Both the principal and the teacher should pay for their actions. The principal should have been jointly charged for child abuse. She should also be asked to resign or fired.
The parent needs to sue the government and this wicked principal. What is more disturbing this ba**ard so call principal tarnishes the reputation of the respectable and great principals of the territory. Please don’t send that beast to sea cows bay school. In sea cows school we have a lovely and respectable principal. We good!!.
The principal should have been standing right there next to Ms Hodge. Although I feel Ms Hodge is culpable, she was following the advice of her immediate boss. She is fresh out of college I suppose with not much experience! The principal told her she had used this mwthod before with no repercussions obviously. I feel the ed dept was too harsh on this teacher and just allowed the principal to carry on as normal. Way way too unfair! The least they could have done was asked tge principal to resign!! Come on Mr Wheatley do the right thing!! You all were too unfair!!
This is the same culture that poisons dogs
I am willing to bet that in your culture people are poisoned on a regular basis.
Say what now?… did you just compare what happened to poisoning a f—ing dog? I bet you would be ok with a lynching as long as no dogs are harmed in the process… SMDH
… the expert on children punishment is the principle of Joyce Samuel’s primary school.
Talk about disapointment in our Education system,
Sooooo you all are telling me she went from Anegada where yes there was some drama under her leadership, put her Ivan Dawson where she continued her mess, then transferred her to Joyce Samuels. ? Government cannot be serious!! Put that bar bi#$h where she rightly belongs. Parents wake up!! She is a threat to children everywhere. Never mind the charming smile. The devil is lurking within and education dept needs to apologize for the pain and suffering their poor decisionmaking and biasness has incurred
I wonder if that teacher or principal woulda washed them tail light with that stuff?
As a child I did hear adults threaten to wash kids mouth out with soap but it never happened to me and I never saw it happened. Until the aforementioned incident I never thought someone would be so stupid to actually do that to a child.
Clearly a review is much needed.
Given how things are going in this day and age I think discipline should be left to parents. Parents raise rude children and some only show up to the school to make noise when their children get punished. Schools should have parents sign contracts showing they understand the school rules and guidelines. Make sure they understand it’s their responsibility to ensure their children follow the rules. When a child falls out of line they get a warning and when they do it again they get sent home until they can behave.
That way the class can continue learning and everyone else doesn’t have to suffer with an unruly child while oblivious and irresponsible parents walk around blaming everyone but themselves. Parents would probably be more attentive to their children if they had to stop what they’re doing to find sitters and tutors every time their children act out.
This was never a BVI thing. Not once has any teacher in the 80’s or 90’s attempted or threatened to put anything in my mouth besides the Fluoride mouthwash that we use to had to goggle for 30secs in primary school as part of dental hygiene. People used to talk about washing mouth with soap for children that curse but they never literally did that. Only a moron or fool would drink Dettol. I blame the teacher that told the student, the principal that told the teacher and the student for actually putting it in their mouth. At age 10 every child should know what is ok to put in their mouth especially if it isn’t food or something as common as Dettol.
This is crazy. Which child in Anegada Ms. P washed their mouth with soap? Certainly not my mine. Nor did I ever hear anything through the teacher grapevine or any rumour floating around about this. Children talk and had she done that it would have been out in a flash and a parent up at the school to deal vwith her. Ms. Hodge accept responsibility for your actions. Stop trying to throw blame on another person for something you did.
you know anything about what goes on? or are you one of them
that Principal and her stink flunky teacher friend who was mishandling the kids from young to older ones in higher classes should have been fired from that time but noooooo…. Government did what it does best. Transfers the problems and protects the guilty. The innocent continue to suffer or so you all think. But God is in control.
that Principal and her stink flunky teacher friend who was mishandling the kids from young to older ones in higher classes should have been fired from that time but noooooo…. Government did what it does best. Transfers the problems and protects the guilty. The innocent continue to suffer or so you all think. But God is in control.
What is Mrs. Gordon talking about? This is NOT part of BVI culture. If there are a small minority that actually do it then they need psychological evaluation because that is not widely accepted here.
Parents of that school know the truth. Both teacher and principal are not right
The attorney said it seems the practice of washing out someone’s mouth with a cleaning agent is something common in the territory and something ingrained in Virgin Islands culture.
What a crock of BS. Stop licking … woman.
Did anyone consider that if parents make an attempt to discipline their spawn at home, the teachers could teach and not waste time on disciplining your failures?
The fact that this happen and required a news paper article to deal with it says it all.
An overhaul of Educ Ministry is needed. CEO, HR. All of them. This Principal was never right!! Anegada should have stood up better for their own .. they let her slide. And Tola allowing it too??? Get outta here! This place is going down