Woodshop class: still dangerous, as John Abbott student learns

 Aimee Boucher learned the dangers of using a big saw at John Abbott College where she mangled her right index finger in a blade.
    Boucher went to court against the school, asking for $326,000.
   A judge rendered a decision on March 30 - over seven years after the original injury suffered on September 26, 2007 - ordering the school to pay  her$76,500 and to hand her mother over about $4,440.
    The accident occurred when the the-18-year-old was in a wood shop class  called the 3-D Studio Foundation taught by Irwin Regler, along with technician Peter Irrgang.
    Boucher sliced her finger badly during the age-old Egg Project, which is to make an egg-shaped wood sculpture, which students had been doing for five years.
    A student has the option of turning off the saw if in trouble, but pulling out is not advised as it would break the blade.
   Boucher said that she tried to wiggle the cube to dislodge it. The teacher and supervisor were doing other tasks, so nobody was watching the two.
   Witness Erin Fisher explained that the project is a stressful thing but she did not fully corroborate every tiny detail of her friend's account.  
   Nonetheless teachers should have been watching, according to the judge
 

"The College failed to take appropriate precautions concerning a reasonably foreseeable misuse of the bandsaw," ruled judge .. who said that 3/4 of the blame goes to the school.
  Boucher said she felt rejected and ended up moving on to the NSCAD in Nova Scotia.
  Boucher's hurt was compounded by some rude remarks she had to endure.
 She said that a variety of teachers and random people at John Abbott made mean remarks calling her:
“A whiny brat who can’t take criticism and plays the pity card because of her hand”
"I’m not giving you any help. Nobody else is getting any special treatment“.
“I redesigned this whole class around you and your handicaps”
“you are an angry person because of your accident and no one ever dealt with it and you should get over it and not be angry at all the teachers”.,
   One teacher liked to warn her about not cutting off another finger or not touching anything sharp. She testified that when she reacted angrily, teacher explained he meant this as a joke.