Class on satire turns costly lesson for Vancouver teacher - Action News
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British Columbia

Class on satire turns costly lesson for Vancouver teacher

A substitute teacher has learned a costly lesson in judgement after using distasteful and profanity-laden music videos to teach satire to high-school English students.

Cory Ray Steeves suspended for showing profane and distasteful music videos to English classes

The video for The Lonely Island's 'I'm on a Boat' has more than 40 million views. But the Teacher Regulation Branch says it's not the best way to learn satire. (YouTube)

A Vancouver substitute teacher has learned a costly lesson in judgement after using distasteful and profanity-laden music videos to teach satire to high-school English students.

The B.C.Teacher Regulation Branch has reprimanded Cory Ray Steeves for professional misconduct.

According to a disciplinary consent resolution, the school district also suspended him for five days after heshowed his Grade 10 class 'Big Bad Wolf' by Duck Sauce and The Lonely Island's'I'm on a Boat'.

No lyrics beyond 'Big Bad Wolf'

"The 'Big Bad Wolf' video depicts different people with human heads as their genitalia. These heads simulate a variety of activities, including urination and sexual acts. This video contains no lyrics beyond repetition of the phrase 'big bad wolf,'" the consent resolutionsays.

"'I'm on a Boat' consists primarily of profanity."

According to the branch, Steevestold students that the videos could be offensive to some people, "and that if anyone wanted to leave they could. One student left the room."

It's not the first time trying to mix pop culture with education has resulted in trouble for B.C. teachers.

In 2010, an elementary school teacher was suspended for 10 days after teaching her Grade 3 class the lyrics to the Lady Gaga song 'Bad Romance',

And in 2012, a Vancouver Island teacher was suspended for showing his Grade 4 class a video of scantily-clad beach-goers lip-synching Bette Midler's'MeleKalikimaka'.

According to the consent resolution, Steeveshas also agreed to complete a course called 'Reinforcing Respectful Professional Boundaries.'