Utilitarian Ethics: Pierre Trudeau High And The VW University

Staveren (2007), describes Utilitarian Ethics as a pathways that allows individual agents to have moral preferences and to act in the interest of others, but only when the action toward others generates a net utility gain for the individuals (p 22), therefore the actions of Derrick, the Principal of Pierre Trudeau High, and the VW University will be examined under a Utilitarian lens. Derrick as a teacher, regardless of student-rank, should have maintained professional boundaries with his students and avoided giving single students preferential treatment despite his best intentions. Following the principles of Utilitarian ethics Derrick might have been more inclined to “sacrifice” the one students, in this case Max, and focus his attention on

It can be argued that under this framework Derrick was unethical choosing to pursue a single students, perhaps for more than student teacher relations, at the expense of the remainder of his students and by extension at the expense of his fellow peers reputation. Subsequently, VW University is also implicated in unethical actions under the Utilitarian lens due to, firstly failing to intervene despite knowing about the relationship between Derrick and his student while on practicum, and secondly for failing to provide adequate screening of B.Ed candidates with respect to emotional and ethical character. In both instances lack of action by the University provided the greatest amount of good to, arguably, Derrick by not suspending or even expelling him from the program for his actions. In fact, the greatest number of people, in the case fellow student-teachers and public school students, received the least amount of good from the decision to ignore Derricks

By the same logic, the Principal of Pierre Trudeau High acted unethically by ignoring the needs of the many for a safe and inclusive learning environment in favor of an intimate relationship the appeared to help a single known “problem” student. Consequently, this ethical framework can be extended to include Max and her action throughout the event. Under the this framework it could be argued that Max, by allowing her former teacher Derrick, to move in with her ,and her young daughter, before evicting him and providing the Calgary Herald with an interview acted unethically. This is not to say that Max acted maliciously but that she undertook an action that, while questionable, did not provide any benefit to any other party but herself. No indication was made that she sought aid from either the Principal or University and by bringing up her issues with the Calgary Herald she acted in self interest without thought to the greatest good for the greatest number of people which in this instance would be the staff at her former high school and the reputation future education students would have to carry due to association with the Derricks