B.C. teacher suspended, transferred for unsafe chemistry experiment that caused $60K fire damage

AnOkanagan high school teacher has been suspended for three days for conducting a chemical experiment in his Grade 9classroom that later caused a fire at the school.

The incident happened in February 2018 at George Elliot Secondary School in Lake Country, B.C., when teacher Allen Pennerused ammonium dichromate to create a "chemical volcano," according to a consent resolution agreement posted to the B.C. Teacher Regulation Branch's website.

Pennerfailed to wear safety glasses, a lab coat or gloves during the experiment and didn't ventilate the chemical reaction with the use of a fume hood, according to the document.

He cleaned up the experiment, wrapped the residue with wet paper towels and threw them in a garbage can in the classroom.

The residue later reacted with the garbage can, starting a fire that spread, causing nearly $60,000 in damage.

Suspended and transferred

In September 2018 the Central Okanagan School District suspended Penner for 10 days and moved him to another school within the district.

The matter was referred to B.C.'s Commissionaire for Teacher Regulation and last month,Penner was suspended another three days.

Hundreds of people signed an online petition created two years ago asking for the teacher to be reinstated at George Elliot Secondary School, which was sent to the superintendent.

The petition registered more than 800 signatures with one poster calling Penner "the greatest science teacher I ever had" and another describing his teaching style as "crazy yet effective, making his classes enjoyable and fun."

School District 23 Superintendent Kevin Kaardalsaid the district received the petition but he declined to comment further citing employee privacy.