A math teacher at San Francisco’s most prestigious public high school has been suspended after handing ninth-graders algebra quizzes asking them to calculate the cost of dating a woman based on her weight.
One Valentine’s Day question read: a girl who weighs 120lbs will cost you $55 on a date — now calculate how much a 220lb date would cost, and figure out what she would weigh if you could only afford $5.
Another question described the teacher himself punting a “fat kid” into the air for being too noisy, then asked students to solve the height and time equations — and when was the last time they gave candy to a fat kid.
He also ran a YouTube series called “Grades vs. Dignity” where students performed embarrassing dance routines in front of the class in exchange for extra credit points.
The teacher, Tom Chan, had been at Lowell High School for over 20 years. Former students say this kind of content appeared on his quizzes for as long as he had been teaching there. Nobody reported it because they feared he would hurt their grades or damage their college recommendations.
The school district placed him on indefinite leave after a parent finally came forward. No return date has been set, and the investigation is still ongoing.
