A 20-year veteran math teacher at San Francisco’s prestigious Lowell High School faces investigation after parents discovered test questions that mocked overweight students and included misogynistic content about dating girls based on their weight.

The Offensive Test Questions

Tom Chan allegedly included multiple inappropriate questions on Algebra I quizzes given to students. One question asked students to calculate dating costs based on a girl’s weight, stating that a 120-pound girl costs 55 dollars for a date, then asking how much students would spend on a 220-pound girl. Another problem titled “Mr. Chan vs. The Fat Kid (part 2)” described punting an overweight child into the air to teach projectile motion concepts.

Parents who spoke anonymously to the San Francisco Chronicle expressed shock that no one had reported Chan’s behavior during his two decades at the school. Some quiz questions had no mathematical purpose whatsoever, including one asking students to pick between being “pretty or smart” and another requesting their height and weight. Principal Jan Bautista notified parents that Chan “needed to go on leave” after the allegations surfaced.

YouTube Videos Draw Additional Scrutiny

Chan also posted YouTube videos showing students performing embarrassing dances to earn extra credit points. In a May 2025 video titled “Grades vs. Dignity,” Chan wrote that “kids need an A so I provide an out.” Parents criticized the practice as forcing students to humiliate themselves to improve grades. One Lowell alumnus defended the videos as part of the school’s tradition of stress-relief festivals but acknowledged the quiz questions crossed clear boundaries.

District Launches Investigation

The San Francisco Unified School District confirmed it is actively investigating the allegations. School officials provided no details about whether Chan’s leave is paid or when he might return to teaching. The investigation began after the Chronicle contacted the school with questions from concerned parents. Principal Bautista asked parents to respect Chan’s privacy during the review process. The incident raises questions about oversight procedures at one of California’s top-ranked public high schools and how such content remained undetected for years.