B.C. teacher suspended after dry ice explosion in classroom: regulator

CANADA, March 26 — A teacher in southeastern B. C. has had his teaching certificate suspended for two days after he allowed students to handle dry ice with few restrictions — leading to an explosion that left a hole in a ceiling tile.

The discipline, determined by B. C. 's teacher regulator, is on top of a 10-day suspension School District 5 already ordered following the October 2024 incident.

The details of the dry ice explosion are all contained in a consent agreement posted by the B. C. Commissioner for Teacher Regulation.

According to the agreement, David Popoff brought dry ice — the solid form of carbon dioxide, which is extremely cold and can cause frostbite if handled improperly — into school on Oct. 21 and Oct. 22, 2024, without permission.

He allowed the students to touch the substance with their bare hands, according to the agreement, and even put the substance into his mouth. "Safety guidelines state that, when handling dry ice, a person should always wear gloves, safety glasses and protective clothing, as well as ensure that there is adequate ventilation in the area," the agreement reads. "Popoff did not follow these safety guidelines and did not provide any protective equipment to the students.

" On the second day Popoff brought dry ice into the classroom — where both kindergarten and Grade 6 students were present — the agreement states that a student put the substance into a water bottle and shut it. "The water bottle exploded and shot upwards into a ceiling tile. The bottle left a hole in the ceiling tile and left shards around the room," the agreement reads.

The regulator says some students and an education assistant became wet due to the explosion, and multiple students were scared as a result. Popoff told the district afterwards that he wouldn't do anything differently if he were to teach students the same lesson again, and blamed the student in question for the explosion, according to the regulator. In handing him a two-day suspension, B.

C. 's teacher regulator said Popoff "demonstrated inadequate regard for students' developmental maturity" and didn't properly supervise them during a potentially dangerous activity.