School board fires teacher competing on Survivor Quebec

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An elementary school teacher competing on the Survivor franchise in Quebec was recently fired after taking an unauthorized leave of absence to participate in the reality television competition.

Deborah De Braekeler, 39, is one of 16 contestants still in the running to win the top prize in the second season of Survivor Quebec, a 20-person cast on the Philippine island.

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Patrick Theroux, president of the local teachers union, says the St. Hyacinth school board fired him even though qualified replacements were found to cover his absence.

Days after Theroux was fired, the board says it offered to rehire her as a substitute teacher, but not to reinstate her permanently.

The union president says the situation is unfortunate, given Quebec's teacher shortage and the struggle to recruit educators.

A petition to reinstate de Braekeleer has more than 4,400 signatures, and Theroux said he hopes the school board will reconsider its decision.

De Braekeleer says she can't do media interviews when she's on the Noovo network show, where contestants go through physical challenges as they compete to benefit their fellow contestants in order to avoid elimination.

The school board, Center de Services scolaire de Saint-Hyacinthe, did not respond to requests for comment.

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