Yesterday, we told you that the Belize National Teachers Union had sided with Joanne Ysaguirre, the teacher who broke down on social media earlier this week. And as you've heard, it was a culmination of circumstances that led to this video, starting from January: first, the unauthorised shortening of her lunch break; second, forcing her to remain on campus during lunch; third, reprimanding her for not attending a mandatory Mother's Day church service while she was reportedly ill; and fourth, scolding her for contacting a lawyer when she felt her rights were being violated.
But while Ysaguirre said she may have been able to shoulder all of those, the straw that broke her was when an administrative staff member allegedly tore up a letter she had written in response to the Mother's Day situation in front of her face. She'd felt disrespected and belittled.
And according to her mother, she began crying even before she got home - and the knowledge of her daughter in distress while she was miles away in Cayo almost brought her to tears.
Frances Avella, Mother of Teacher
"She said started to cry, she got into the dalla van, because she lives in CET Site and so she got into the dalla van still crying and when she got out of the dalla van she was still crying and then she was like screaming, because by the time, this is after 3 I got a phone call and I just hear my daughter. Now, I am in San Ignacio and I hear my child screaming, screaming, screaming and I am saying Joanna, what is going on with you baby, pretty. I called her pretty and I said pretty what happened and talk to me baby and she just (heaving breathing). All kinds of things were running in my head - did somebody hot her? somebody have a gun or knife, whatever on her, because the worst things could come in your thoughts and then I was raising my voice asking her to talk to me baby and I just hear this hard crying and this hard breathing and its then she said mommy I am alright, but I just feel this way and I started talking to her and I said how far are you and she said nobody is with her. She said she was walking home and I ask how far she was and she said she is one block from home. I was still talking to her and she was crying and I stayed with her on the phone, I keep asking her how far was she from her home and then she said that she is by her door now and I told her as to drink some water as she gets inside."
"She said mommy, I need to do something, and she is crying and I'm trying to relax her by just talking and I told her that anything she does, I will support her."
And though Ysaguirre has seen a mental health professional, who allowed her to take sick leave until the end of the school year, her emotional turmoil has not ended as yet. That's because Ysaguirre feels that she is being bullied by some of the employees at the school.
And her mother isn't having it - she said that there was a letter in which her daughter and some other teachers were insulted and they've gone to the cybercrime unit to find out what they can do about it.
But one thing's for sure - she doesn't want her daughter to return to St Luke's.
Frances Avella, Mother of Teacher
"For Mr. Humes to say the beginning of this thing talking about BNTU only taking opportunities to make them shine, BNTU has to stop that, because this is an orchestrated plan that these teachers had and that hurts me, because there is no such thing that this was a plan, but he don't need to say she - in this latter they called them minions, they called them renegade teachers - all kinds of things."
"How would I write something like this and send to the group of men where we worship and we praise God and we say we are God like and all these things, saying that these teachers sat and plan this out and called them derogative names, minions and all this and point out. How could you?"
"I am sure my daughter can't stay there anymore, because of her health. I will not allow that and so if push comes to shove, then she would have to resign."
And while they accept that resignation is an option, ideally, they'd want Ysaguirre to be able to move to a school in Cayo, where she would be closer to her family. But that comes with a lot of administrative processes that might not work in her favour.
But until then, Ysaguirre told us that she is trying to put everything behind her and move on with her life. However, she is still battling with major anxiety over her the bullying.
