Montreal teacher suspended for showing video of Lin killing

A Montreal high school teacher has been suspended after he showed his class a video police believe depicts the graphic killing of Concordia University student Jun Lin.

The incident happened in a history and civics class on June 4 at Cavelier-de-LaSalle high school in the city's southwest LaSalle borough, according to the Marguerite-Bourgeoys school board (CSMB).

The school board said the teacher was suspended that afternoon.

"The [CSMB] and the administration of Cavelier-de-LaSalle school unanimously condemn the actions of [the] teacher who made his students watch a video with content that is inappropriate and offensive," the board said in a statement released today.

"The incident is being treated very seriously by the CSMB."

The 11-minute video, which was posted on the internet on May 25 and was available for several days before police requested that it be removed, depicts a man believed to be Luka Rocco Magnotta stabbing and dismembering another man.

Montreal police have said they believe the video captured the killing of Lin, a 33-year-old Chinese national, which they say took place sometime between May 24 and 25.

Investigators believe the accused then mailed body parts to political parties in Ottawa and elementary schools in B.C. before fleeing the country.

Magnotta was arrested June 4 in an internet café in Berlin, Germany.

He is awaiting extradition in a German jail.

Montreal police said the owner of the Edmonton-based gore website where the video was posted could face charges related to publishing obscene material.

The website owner has defended the site, saying he stands by its role in educating the public about the dark side of human nature.

Students voted to watch video

A 16-year-old student in the class told CBC Montreal that the teacher asked the students to vote on whether or not they wanted to watch the video.

They held a vote, the student said, and all 30 in the class voted in favour of watching it. The class then spent the rest of the 75-minute period discussing it.

The student said the video was troubling, but didn't have a lasting effect on him.

The school board said it learned of the incident the afternoon of June 4 and the teacher was immediately suspended with pay in accordance with the collective agreement.

The teacher expressed regret to the school administration via e-mail the same day, according to the board.

The teacher, who hasn't been identified by the board, is scheduled to appear before the CSMB labour relations committee today to give his side of the story.

The board will then make a decision to determine if disciplinary action will be taken.