A San Francisco math teacher was on indefinite leave Monday after administrators learned he required his students to solve quiz problems about a “fat kid” punted in the air and the monetary cost of dating girls based on their weight or “sexy points.”
Lowell High School Principal Jan Bautista notified families just after 5:30 p.m. that teacher Tom Chan “needed to go on leave” and there was no return date known, with coverage of his classes pending. She asked the community to respect his privacy at this time.
The announcement came hours after the Chronicle contacted district officials and Bautista seeking comment on the content of Chan’s quizzes after a parent raised concerns, saying families and students feared retaliation in their grades or college recommendations if they complained.
District officials refused to confirm whether Chan was placed on paid leave or whether he took personal leave.
The wording in the ninth grade Algebra I quizzes reinforces stereotypes and the kids are accepting it, said the parent, who requested anonymity given concerns of retaliation against their family.
The questions reflect fat shaming, promote values based on looks and imply that girls aren’t good at math, the parents said. It’s pretty shocking,” they added. “The fact that nobody has brought this up to the school and he’s been there a really long time.”
Neither Bautista nor Chan responded to requests for comment.
Chan has been a teacher at Lowell for more than 20 years. The parent said that older students confirmed previous classes experienced similar content on quizzes.
One of the quiz questions in February referenced taking someone out on Valentine’s Day.
“The amount of money you spend on a date varies inversely to how much they weigh. A typical girl that weighs 120lbs will cost you $55.
a) Derive the variation equation.
b) How much would you expect to pay for a date with Ashley who is 220lbs?
c) If you can only afford $5, how much would your date weigh and what is his/her name?”
Another question was titled “Mr. Chan vs. The Fat Kid (part 2).”
“The fat kid from last time wouldn’t be quiet about the candy I was eating in front of him, so I punted him up into the air.”
Chan then asked students to solve questions related to an equation for height and time as well as one that asked, “When was the last time you gave candy to a fat kid?”
In some cases, quiz questions had nothing to do with math.
“How tall are you and how much do you weigh?” was one question followed by, “Pick one: Pretty or Smart. And why?”
District officials said shortly before announcing Chan’s leave that they were aware of the allegations of the inappropriate content on the exams.
“We take these concerns seriously and are actively investigating,” said district spokesperson Laura Dudnick in an emailed response. “While we cannot share details because this is a personnel matter, we can share that once an issue is brought to our attention, we investigate every report and take appropriate corrective action if required.”
A math teacher at Lowell High School in San Francisco, is on leave after allegedly requiring students to solve quiz questions that fat shamed and promoted sexist ideas. (Benjamin Fanjoy/For the S.F. Chronicle)
The parent said that the quizzes weren’t the only issue of concern.
Chan has also posted videos of students on YouTube under the heading “Grades vs. Dignity,” with the teens doing silly dances to get extra points to boost their grades. For the most recent video in May 2025, Chan wrote a description saying, “Kids need an A so I provide an out.”
“They’re buying grades from him by humiliating themselves,” the parent said. “The kids look like they’re laughing and stuff, but I’m not sure all of them are into it.”
In addition, the parent said Chan would include “curveball” questions on the quizzes, which were questions about something he hadn’t taught the students yet, but were still scored like all the other questions.
In a school like Lowell, where academic pressure to get good grades can be intense, grading students on something they haven’t been taught seems abusive, the parent said, like a form of control.
The parent said their child indicated Chan was fairly well liked, that he seemed to want to make math interesting or fun. The teen thought the quiz content was akin to bad dad jokes, “like he’s trying to be funny and it’s not funny,” the parent said.
Dudnick said the priority is to ensure students feel safe and supported in school and there are multiple ways to report issues of concern, including SFUSD’s “See Something, Say Something” anonymous reporting system, which is available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.
The Lowell parent said that beyond any corrective action related to the teacher, it seems the district and school administrators need to do more to ensure students aren’t afraid to raise concerns about teachers or other adults.
“I don’t think that school gives the impression they have those open lines of communication,” the parent said. “I would like the classes to be told they should not let those kinds of (quiz) questions slide by.
“I think the school owes those classes an apology.”
This article originally published at Lowell High math teacher on leave after quizzes prompt allegations of fat-shaming, sexist content.
