Sabah teacher who body-shamed autistic boy reassigned, given counselling

KOTA KINABALU: A primary school teacher accused of body-shaming an autistic boy has been assigned to another class.

She is also required to undergo sessions with the district counselling officer, said Sabah Education Department director Datuk Raisin Saidin.

“This case is settled and I hope we don’t prolong this matter," he said when contacted on Wednesday (Jan 10).

He said a meeting was held with the teacher and the boy's parents after the incident involving the teacher went viral on social media.

"We decided to transfer the teacher to another class, teaching mainstream subjects and not special education,” Raisin said.

He said she will remain in the same school but is not required to teach special education classes and not allowed to teach the affected pupil.

In resolving the issue, he said the department not only considered the pupil and his parents' feelings but also "the emotions of teachers."

This was so that teachers continued to have the will, commitment and dedication to educate children.

“They chose this noble profession as a way to give back in terms of their energy, skills or knowledge,” he said.

The teacher, from a school in Tuaran district, came in for public backlash after she inadvertently sent a text to a WhatsApp group body-shaming an autistic child, badmouthing another parent and allegedly claiming she would torture that person's child.

According to social media users, the messages were later deleted.

The autistic boy’s father then lodged a complaint with the Education Ministry while it is learnt that the teacher also lodged a report, claiming emotional damage.