Roxanna Thompson
Northern News Services
Friday, May 04, 2007

FORT LIARD - Two teachers have left both Echo Dene school and Fort Liard after being threatened by community members.

Paul Brown, who taught the technology in the workplace program, and Mabel Colson-Brown, the Grade 3-4 teacher, left Fort Liard after being threatened at the school.

Threats were made during at least two incidents on April 25 at the school, said Amanda Mallon, president of the Northwest Territories Teachers' Association

The decision for the couple to stop working at the school was made jointly with all the parties involved including the Browns and the Northwest Territories Teachers' Association, said Nolan Swartzentruber, superintendent of the Dehcho Divisional Education Council.

"It was basically a concern for their own safety," said Swartzentruber.

"Everyone felt this was the best solution."

This is the first time in the Deh Cho region that teachers have been threatened to the extent that it was considered best for them to leave, he said.

The threats were made at the school during the first half of the day and were witnessed.

Students did not return to the school for the second half of the day. The students were already supposed to have the afternoon off because it was a professional development day, but had been let out earlier than planned because of the incident, said Swartzentruber.

Swartzentruber said he was not aware of the situation surrounding the threats and the nature of threats made.

Classes are now continuing as usual at the school, he said. A person has been found for the short term to teach the Grade 3 to 4 class.

The threats were serious enough to concern the Northwest Territories Teacher's Association.

"They were of a nature to cause concern for personal safety," said Amanda Mallon, the president.

The executive director for the association accompanied Swartzentruber to Fort Liard on April 26 to ensure the safety of the Browns was being met, said Mallon.

"We did feel these threats were serious in nature," she said.

During her almost three years as president of the association, Mallon said this is the first time she's heard of community members coming into a school to verbally threaten teachers.

"This is quite unusual this one," she said.

In the past, staff have had to leave other communities in the territory because of threats.

If a community member has a concern there's a procedure that needs to be followed which doesn't involve coming into the school and verbally abusing teachers, she said.

"Our teacher's and our students need to be safe in schools," said Mallon.

An investigation into the threats is ongoing, but it's in its very early stages, said Const. Alana Foley with the Fort Liard RCMP detachment.

A complaint was made to the RCMP on April 25 involving one community member and one member of the staff, said Foley