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One former staffer learned of the Nov. 24 incident that led to the teacher’s dismissal from a Fraser student who was in the classroom when it happened.

No teacher is ever removed from the classroom based on the words or actions of a single student.

According to that former staffer, “X (the student) told me about it on the day it happened. X said (the teacher) said something about abortion, a bunch of girls were ‘triggered’ by it, and one was crying,” the former teacher said.

The 44-year-old teacher who was dismissed Nov. 30 told Postmedia that he was trying to illustrate how an individual’s sense of what’s right or wrong may be different from the law.

Some people may hold more liberal or conservative views that differ from the law, he said, and told the class that, for instance, he believes abortion is wrong, “but the law is often different from our personal opinions.”

Shortly after, the students had a brief break and when it was over, some didn’t return, among them a popular young woman who went to an administrator to complain that she had been “triggered” by the remark and now felt “unsafe”.

With another teacher at her side for support, the student then confronted the offending teacher and demanded an apology.

Over the ensuing few days, the teacher was removed from the class, and invited back in only to be confronted again by the student. This time he apologized, but managed to offend her anew, and the next day was told he “couldn’t continue in the classroom.”

Allan Klassen, who spent almost 16 years at Fraser in a variety of teaching and administrative roles until he left in the fall of 2015, told Postmedia “The school has no HR representative, no union, no recourse for any staff member who feels they are treated unfairly”, and that “any staff member knows that if they try to take them on in court, it will be a long drawn-out battle that is far too expensive and emotionally draining … Maureen Steltman loves to fight and she doesn’t have to pay her court costs.”