'Jar of Death' leads to high school teacher suspensions

Students at the leadership camp called it 'The Jar of Death.'

Written on the strips of paper inside were tasks designed as punishment for kids who displeased their Grade 12 overlords: licking one male high school teacher's foot and re-chewing another's gum.

Now, 'The Jar of Death' has struck again, resulting not only in the temporary suspensions of the two Surrey teachers who lent the challenge a foot and some gum, but also the teacher who organized the three-day camp.

'Pressured by older students'

According to documents posted on the B.C. Teacher Regulation Branch, Michael Turner Mitro and Matthew Lucas Jones both agreed to a one-day suspension of their teaching certificates. Jennifer Jo Robinson was suspended for two days.

Robinson was in charge of the P.E. leadership program at the school, which is not named in the consent resolution agreements.

She was also 'Educator in Charge" and supervisor for the school's annual leadership camp, which drew students from Grade 9 to Grade 12. The purpose of the camp was to "engage in leadership activities, plan intramurals for the year and train for sports."

Mitro and Jones were both camp supervisors.

Attendees were welcomed to the camp on Thursday Sept. 24, 2015 with a food challenge organized by two Grade 12 students.

Participants had to eat food randomly drawn from a jar: packaged, vacuum-sealed corn-on-the-cob, anchovies, baby food, sour candies, dried squid, spicy Thai tuna and minced garlic.

"While some students protested during the challenge, they were pressured by older students to continue to participate," the document pertaining to Robinson said.

"Robinson was aware the Grade 12 students would be organizing the food challenge, and the instructions she provided were that the food had to be edible and could not include peanuts."

Robinson told students with peanut allergies not to take part, but according to the consent resolution, she took no steps to stop the food challenge.

'Lick Mr. Mitro's bare foot'

The 'Jar of Death' incident happened two nights later. The documents say Robinson was told about it by the Grade 12 camp alumni who created the challenge but didn't review it in any detail.

"With the Jar of Death, students nominated their peers who had done something at the camp which they did not like," the document said.

"The nominees had to reach into a jar and pull out a piece of paper with a task written on it which they would then be expected to perform in front of the group. It was a form of punishment, and students felt pressured to participate."

A male student drew the piece of paper with "lick Mr. Mitro's bare foot" written on it.

"Mitro sat in front of the students and staff and removed his shoe and sock so that the student could then lick his foot," Mitro's consent resolution agreement reads.

Another of the tasks was drinking a glass of water that four people had spat in. A male student was instructed to chew gum for 30 seconds someone else had already chewed.

"The assembled students collectively selected Jones as the person whose gum the student would chew," read the document pertaining to Jones.

"Jones took a piece of gum, chewed it and gave it to the student to complete the challenge."

All three teachers were disciplined for professional misconduct. They also have to complete a course called Reinforcing Respectful Professional Boundaries.