A math teacher at Lowell High School in San Francisco, seen in 2022, has resigned after allegedly distributing quizzes with questions that had sexist material.
Brontë Wittpenn/S.F. Chronicle
A San Francisco high school math teacher under an ongoing district investigation for fat-shaming and sexist quiz questions, among other behaviors, resigned on Friday, district officials confirmed Wednesday.
Tom Chan, a teacher at Lowell High School for more than 20 years, was placed on leave March 2 after the Chronicle sought comment from the district on the content of his quizzes, which included requiring students to solve problems about a “fat kid” punted into the air and the monetary cost cost of dating girls based on their weight.
It was not immediately clear if there was a separation agreement regarding any conditions related to the resignation. Chan did not respond to requests for comment.
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Content on ninth-grade Algebra I quizzes included wording that reinforced negative stereotypes, said parents and students who raised concerns.
One question in February included deriving the variation equation for the amount of money a date would cost based on how much the girl weighs based on a “typical girl” weighing 120 pounds.
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Students were then required to calculate how much they would be for “Ashley” who is 220 pounds and how much their date would weigh and what would his/her name be if they only had $5 to spend.
Other questions had nothing to do with math, including one that asked students when they last gave candy to a “fat kid,” or to choose between “Pretty or Smart. And Why?”
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Hundreds of former and current students immediately defended Chan after the Chronicle’s coverage, signing a petition and urging officials to reinstate him, saying he was supportive, funny and that while his test questions or other behavior, which went back many years, was inappropriate, he didn’t mean to be offensive.
“Future students at Lowell will be deprived of a teacher and mentor who went above and beyond in ways that are rare,” wrote Angelina Koroknay and Tina Yang in an email to the Chronicle. “For many of us, Mr. Chan was not just a teacher; he was a source of encouragement and someone who genuinely believed in our success.”
Families also raised concerns about whether students would receive adequate math instruction during Chan’s leave, specifically in Advance Placement courses in which students were preparing for the upcoming AP exam.
Yet not everyone at the academically competitive public school expressed support for the veteran teacher. Some of Chan’s current and former students shared additional details about his conduct with the student newspaper.
In one class he reportedly drew a graph, which he noted looked like breasts before adding nipples to the drawing, according to The Lowell. Others said Chan followed many of his female students on social media sites, commenting on their posts or sending direct messages to them.
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One former female student said Chan would touch her shoulder while helping her with math and at one point in class, told her and a friend that, “Girls are either pretty or they can do math,” according to the student newspaper.
District officials said after Chan was placed on leave in early March that they were aware of the allegations related to the math teacher.
“We take these concerns seriously and are actively investigating,” said district spokesperson Laura Dudnick in an emailed response at the time. “While we cannot share details because this is a personnel matter, we can share that once an issue is brought to our attention, we investigate every report and take appropriate corrective action if required.”
Based on student and parent comments, the inappropriate content on quizzes and other questionable behavior had been longstanding in Chan’s classroom, but apparently never reported to or addressed by district officials or school administrators.
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Admission to Lowell is based on academic performance and the high school is among the top-performing public schools in the country. Pressure to get good grades is heightened and families and students have said that they fear retaliation on their report cards or college recommendations if they complain.
Dudnick said the priority is to ensure students feel safe and supported in school and there are multiple ways to report issues of concern, including SFUSD’s “See Something, Say Something” anonymous reporting system, which is available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.