The Bert Show – “Vault: A Teacher Allowed Students To Vote A Kid Out Of The Classroom?!”

Original Air Date: February 9, 2026
Episode Duration: ~12 minutes of content
Host(s): Bert, Kristin, Abby, Cassie, Tommy & Cast
Podcast by: Pionaire Podcasting

Episode Overview

In this episode, The Bert Show team dives into shocking, controversial, and jaw-dropping stories about teachers’ inappropriate disciplinary actions in classrooms. The central theme is educators who cross the line—sometimes in bewildering or even abusive ways—with the episode grounded in a headline about a teacher who allowed a kindergarten class to vote a student out. As calls pour in, listeners and hosts share personal experiences and strong reactions, exploring the complexity of discipline, responsibility, and boundaries in schools.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. The Headline: Voting a Kid Out of Class

[00:17 – 02:11]

• The main story centers on a kindergarten teacher in Port St. Lucie, Florida, who let her class vote on whether a 5-year-old student, Alex (recently diagnosed with Asperger’s), should remain. Each student was prompted to voice what they disliked about Alex before voting (14-2 against him).

• The hosts express disbelief and dismay at the public humiliation, discussing the harm it caused and the teacher's apparent pride in her method.

  “Each kid was able to say out loud what they did not like about Alex. And then after they said that, they did a vote… it was like 14 to 2 that Alex should be kicked out of class.”
  — Host (C), [01:20]

  “She was able to humiliate him. And he even said to his mother… ‘I’m not special because he…was made to feel like nobody likes me.’”
  — Host (C), [01:52]

2. Other Outlandish Teacher Behavior

[02:11 – 03:28]

• Hosts share another real incident: A teacher allowed end-of-year wrestling matches and personally joined in, body-slamming students as the class cheered.

  “There’s actual video of this teacher… taking down a student and pinning him on the floor… In hindsight, I would at least hope that now he’s going, throwing a kid, body slamming a kid on the floor. Probably not. Smart move.”
  — Host (A), [02:51]

3. Listener Call-ins: Shocking Stories from the Classroom

a. Humiliating Special Ed Students

[03:33 – 04:26]

• Caller “Susan” (voice disguised) recounted a special ed teacher who forced a student to lick a chalkboard before being allowed to use the restroom, and another occasion when the teacher spat on students for amusement.

  “He had to lick the chalkboard from the bottom to the top before he could go.”
  — Susan, [03:55]

  “He would actually let [the spit] hit them every time.”
  — Susan, [04:20]

b. Physical Discipline & Unequal Accountability

[04:48 – 07:37]

• A male elementary teacher describes witnessing African American female teachers using physical discipline (hand slapping, grabbing, even choking)—behaviors he claims would lead to lawsuits if committed by white teachers. Hosts challenge his assertions and his refusal to report such acts, suggesting his claims might be more about bitterness or racism rather than fact.

  “If we did it, then there would be a big lawsuit.”
  — Male Caller, [05:53]

  “You’re just as at fault, right?”
  — Host (B), [06:15]

  “To be perfectly honest, you’re just being a racist.”
  — Host (A), [07:02]

  “Well, do something about it then.”
  — Host (B), [07:26]

4. More Listener Stories: Extreme and Absurd Discipline

a. Closet Confinement

[08:48 – 10:25]

• Caller recounts her kindergarten-aged son being placed in a supply closet (with a desk) for two hours for misbehavior by a substitute. He was forgotten and ended up cutting his jeans to pass the time. The mother, who was a “room mother,” was shocked by the incident.

  “They shoved him in her supply closet—like, they stuck a desk in there and stuck him in the supply closet and forgot about him.”
  — Caller (E), [08:56]

  “He had slashed and cut holes and designs in his jeans from top to bottom… Was in that supply closet two hours.”
  — Caller (E), [09:41]

b. Taped to the Desk

[10:30 – 11:43]

• Caller “Jack” shares an incident in second grade where a teacher taped him to his desk as punishment for getting up to sharpen a pencil during a test.

  “I had a crappy pencil… I had to sharpen it… And I guess she thought I was being unruly and taped me to the desk.”
  — Jack, [11:07]

  “That’s old school discipline right there. I’m cool with that.”
  — Host (A), [10:57]

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• “I want to put you on the voice disguiser… if you have teachers at your school… that you’re thinking, how does this even make sense to me?”
  — Host (B), [00:36]
  (The invitation for stories sets the tone for the episode)

• “I hope this doesn’t get sad quick.”
  — Host (B), [04:26]
  (After disturbing stories are shared, reflecting the roller coaster of emotions as the episode unfolds)

• “If you see something like that going on at school, you can call a radio station and say, this is what’s going on, or you can do something about it and change it.”
  — Host (B), [07:26]
  (Direct challenge to passive bystanders)

• “That’s what we’re looking for—kids in closets playing with scissors, forgotten for two hours.”
  — Host (A), [10:26]
  (Dark humor used to process the absurdity of the stories)

Timestamps for Key Segments

• [00:17 – 02:11]: Core story—the class votes a 5-year-old out, public shaming.
• [02:11 – 03:28]: Wrestling teacher incident.
• [03:33 – 04:26]: Special ed student forced to lick chalkboard/spat on.
• [04:48 – 07:37]: Caller on race and physical discipline—hosts confront and redirect.
• [08:48 – 10:25]: Boy locked in closet for hours—mother’s perspective.
• [10:30 – 11:43]: Child taped to desk for sharpening pencil; hosts debate “old school discipline.”

Tone and Style

The episode balances humor, disbelief, and candor, with the hosts switching between light-hearted jabs and serious critiques. Moments of dark humor serve to highlight the absurdity and inappropriateness of the shared stories, while open confrontation of problematic perspectives underscores the show’s commitment to authenticity and real talk.

Summary for New Listeners

If you haven’t listened, this episode offers a wild, sometimes uncomfortable ride through the kinds of disciplinary practices that should not be happening in schools. With listeners contributing jaw-dropping stories and hosts holding both perpetrators and bystanders accountable—all with a signature blend of humor and frankness—this episode is as much a critique of bad teaching as it is a call for empathy, sanity, and common sense in classrooms.