D茅borah De Braekeleer knew she would have to face her fear of bugs when she volunteered to be marooned on a remote island in the Philippines. But perhaps her greatest challenge awaited her when she returned home to Quebec.
The 39-year-old elementary school teacher is one of 20 cast members on the second season of 鈥淪urvivor Qu茅bec,鈥� a French-language franchise of the popular reality television competition series in which a group of thrill-seekers brave physical challenges and gruelling environmental conditions for the chance to win a $100,000 grand prize.
As of the latest episode Wednesday evening, De Braekeleer was one of 16 remaining contestants.
Yet while viewers watch De Braekeleer vie for the favour of her fellow competitors to avoid elimination by group vote, a different kind of drama is unfolding in St-Hyacinthe, Que., 50 kilometres east of Montreal. On March 26, the governing council of the school district where De Braekeleer taught Grade 3 voted 7-5 to fire her for taking unauthorized time off to participate in the show.
The decision has left some members of the community reeling. An online petition with more than 4,400 signatures is imploring the school board to reverse course.
鈥淪he鈥檚 a teacher who is extremely appreciated,鈥� said Jo毛l B茅langer, a member of the school board council who voted against her ouster. 鈥淪he makes a difference, people really identify with her and have made her one of their own, so it鈥檚 really our whole community that鈥檚 in mourning.鈥�
Reached by social media, De Braekeleer said she can鈥檛 talk to reporters while she is still on the Noovo network鈥檚 show.
But in an interview Thursday, B茅langer explained what happened. De Braekeleer made a request in November for two months of unpaid leave to compete on the show but received a swift rejection from the school board鈥檚 human resources department, which cited a local teacher shortage. Not wanting to give up the opportunity, De Braekeleer made her own arrangements and enlisted replacements to cover her absence, and even made a video for her students to prepare them for her departure in January, B茅langer said.
The human resources department nevertheless warned of repercussions if De Braekeleer went ahead with her unsanctioned time off. And on the department鈥檚 recommendation, the council voted to dismiss De Braekeleer while she was in the Philippines filming 鈥淪urvivor鈥� and unable to defend herself, B茅langer said.
The news of her firing has 鈥渟hocked鈥� her family in her home country of Belgium, her aunt, Mich猫le De Braekeleer, said in a transatlantic phone interview Thursday. She said her niece began studying to be a teacher in Europe but soon 鈥渇ell in love鈥� with Canada and decided to pursue her passion in Quebec.
鈥淭his is an aberration,鈥� Mich猫le De Braekeleer said of the dismissal. 鈥淚 think there鈥檚 a lack of discernment on the part of the school board.鈥�
In an emailed statement, the board 鈥� Centre de services scolaire de Saint-Hyacinthe 鈥� said confidentiality rules limit its ability to comment on De Braekeleer鈥檚 case, saying only that it is bound to apply the conventions of the teachers鈥� collective agreement. The board confirmed, however, that the agreement allowed De Braekeleer to apply for a different position and resume teaching on Monday.
But the board hasn鈥檛 reinstated De Braekeleer to her previous permanent job, Patrick Th茅roux, president of the local teachers union, explained in an interview. Instead, De Braekeleer now finds herself in the odd position of filling in as her own substitute for the very class at Saint-Thomas-d鈥橝quin elementary school that she left in January, he said.
鈥淚t鈥檚 really a funny image,鈥� he remarked. 鈥淗ere in St-Hyacinthe, there鈥檚 a lot of effort put into the image of the school board as a place where there are good values. And then, well, we fire a teacher in the middle of a shortage and hire her back a few days later to replace herself.鈥�
De Braekeleer鈥檚 future beyond the end of this school year is uncertain, B茅langer said, vowing to continue efforts to pressure local officials to reconsider her dismissal. He said her supporters are also making appeals to the provincial government.
鈥淭he community of Saint-Thomas (school) supports D茅borah and they鈥檙e going to fight until she gets her rights back,鈥� he said.
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