B.C. boys who made ‘How to kill your teacher’ video say it was a joke

CASTLEGAR, B.C. – Two boys who made an online video titled “How to Kill Your Teacher” have told police in Castlegar, B.C., that it was intended as a joke.

RCMP say they have let the 11- and 13-year-olds know that anyone who considers themselves a target of such a video may take it very differently.

Cpl. Debbie Postnikoff said Thursday that police have also spoken with the boys’ parents and school officials to try and understand why they created the video, which shows them holding toy guns and referring to a Ms. D.

Charges will not be pursued due to the boys’ ages, Postnikoff said.

She said Mounties are working with school officials, the boys and their parents to hold the children accountable for their behaviour as they put together a plan to ensure it doesn’t continue.

Greg Luterbach, superintendent of the Kootenay-Columbia School District, said officials are dealing with police and other agencies, which may include the Children’s Ministry, to conduct a violence-risk assessment.

“You’re trying to get as much data as you can to look at this to ascertain risk and then determine what kind of plan you’re going to have moving forward,” he said.

“Certainly, the video is disturbing, highly inappropriate.”

He noted it’s important for children to know the seriousness of sharing inappropriate content, even if they’re tempted by how easy it is to post to various sites.

“Three clicks later, it’s online.”

Luterbach said the district will discuss ways to educate students in making wise choices when posting anything to the Internet but families also have a role to play in discussing such issues.

“It’s about what happened and where were bad decisions made along the way?”

Police in Nanaimo were initially notified about the video after a Florida radio host saw it and called the city’s newspaper, but its origin was then traced to Castlegar, in B.C.’s West Kootenay region, where the boys were identified.