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A B.C. high school teacher has been suspended after kissing a “vulnerable student” during a graduation party at the teacher’s house.
In a consent resolution agreement with the B.C. Commissioner for Teacher Regulation posted online Tuesday, the teacher admits to professional misconduct and accepts the suspension. The teacher is not able to apply for a teaching licence in the kindergarten to Grade 12 system for 15 years.
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At the end of the 2022 school year, the teacher came home from dinner to a graduation party being thrown by the teacher’s children, who were all over 19 at the time.
“Some attendees were university students who were of legal drinking age,” whereas the student in question was not of age and had nevertheless been drinking at the party.
“While the teacher knew that there was alcohol present at the party, the teacher was not aware that (the student) was drinking,” said the agreed statement of facts. “At one point, the teacher kissed (the student) on the lips. This was photographed and circulated on social media.”
The teacher resigned, and the commissioner initially suspended the teacher’s certificate in September 2022.
The commissioner deemed the 15-year ban an appropriate penalty because the teacher “endangered the emotional safety” of the student and the conduct “was part of a pattern of boundary issues.”
In order to protect the student who was “harmed, abused or exploited by the teacher,” the teacher’s name, gender and school district have been redacted from the signed agreement.
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