Teacher's Dry Ice Demo Gone Wrong

0:00It's March 25, I'm Cory with the story. This is Canada News Today, driven by AI. A grade 6 teacher in British Columbia, southeast Kutne's, faces suspensions after a dry ice demonstration turned dangerous. David William Popoff, let six graders and kindergarten students handle the frozen carbon dioxide, without gloves, goggles, or close supervision. This led to a small explosion that punched a hole in the classroom ceiling back in October 2024. Popoff brought the dry ice into school without permission, and split the kids into mixed-age groups with containers of it. He even instructed the older students to touch it bare-handed, despite risks of frostbite. The day before, he had handled it himself without protection, and put some in his mouth during another demo. When Popoff stepped out briefly, leaving just an education assistant, one student stuffed dry ice into a water bottle and sealed it. The pressure built up fast, causing the bottle to burst and scatter shards everywhere.

1:00Some kids and the assistant got splashed, and several students were pretty shaken up, the luckily no one was hurt. Popoff admitted his actions amounted to professional misconduct for ignoring basic safety rules on ventilation and gear. His school district already hid him with a 10-day teaching certificate suspension, and now the BC. Commissioner for Teacher Regulation has added two more days, set for June 17th and 18th. The commissioner pointed out how Popoff disregarded the student's age, emotions, and physical safety, creating a real hazard. Cases like this highlight, while strict lab protocols matter in every classroom.