Latest news with #student safety
CTV News
09-07-2025
- CTV News
‘Not a pedophile': B.C. teacher suspended for one day for touching students in gym class
The floor of a school gymnasium is seen in this stock image. (Credit: Shutterstock) A teacher in B.C.'s Interior who 'periodically' touched students during fitness class has been handed a one-day suspension by the regulatory body. Todd Erin Graham entered a consent agreement with the B.C. Commissioner for Teacher Regulation last month in which he admitted to professional misconduct. The decision was posted publicly online Wednesday. The commissioner says while teaching a fitness and conditioning class called Human Performance 12 between September and December 2022, Grahm separated the girls from the boys for a meeting. 'In that meeting, Graham told the girls that he was 'not a pedophile' but that he might have to 'grab them' to show them proper form or to spot them,' the decision reads. 'Graham then told them that he had no attraction to them as he was 62 and they were 15. The students reported feeling uncomfortable following this meeting.' The commissioner says Graham would 'periodically' touch students during exercises, which some female students reported feeling uncomfortable about, and gave three examples. In one instance, the teacher touched the side of a student's chest while she was doing a bench press and asked, 'can you feel that?'. In another, he pushed a student's hips while she did squats, according to the document. In a third incident Graham complimented a student's legs while she was using the leg press machine, a remark she reported feeling uncomfortable with. The school district issued a letter of discipline and required Graham to attend a boundaries course as a result. The consent agreement also addressed comments Graham made in 2022 and 2023. In one incident, Graham singled out a 'diverse learner' in front of the class and described them using an 'unflattering term,' the regulator says. He also singled out an Indigenous student 'in a manner which was demeaning to (the student) specifically and to Indigenous peoples generally.' For those comments, the district issued a disciplinary letter and required him to complete a course on reconciliation. As a result of its investigation, the commissioner suspended Graham's teaching qualification for one day, and required he take the course Reinforcing Respectful Professional Boundaries at the Justice Institute of B.C. by September. Factors considered in the decision, the regulator says, included that the teacher failed to create a positive learning environment, adversely impacted students, failed to respect appropriate boundaries, and harmed First Nations students in a way that did not contribute to truth and reconciliation.
Yahoo
09-07-2025
- Yahoo
'Not a pedophile': Two B.C. teachers suspended for crossing boundaries with students
Two B.C. teachers have agreed to short suspensions of their certificates after admitting to dealing with students in ways that crossed professional boundaries and left them feeling hurt and uncomfortable. Todd Erin Graham was teaching high school in a district in the B.C. Interior in the 2022-23 school year when the following happened: He singled out a student — described in a consent resolution agreement with the B.C. Commissioner for Teacher Regulation as a 'diverse learner' — in front of classmates and used an unflattering term. Graham also made a comment to an Indigenous student that was 'demeaning' to the student specifically 'and to Indigenous peoples generally.' In early 2024, the district issued a letter of discipline and ordered to take a course on reconciliation at a First Nations university. Later that year, the district reported another incident from 2022 when Graham was teaching a fitness class. 'During the first class, Graham separated the girls from the boys for a meeting,' said the signed agreement. 'In that meeting, Graham told the girls that he was 'not a pedophile' but that he might have to 'grab them' to show them proper form or to spot them.' He told them he wasn't attracted to them because he was 52 and they were 15. 'The students reported feeling uncomfortable following this meeting.' He would 'periodically touch students to help them with their form or identify muscle groups they were working,' making some female students feel uncomfortable. One student was lying on a bench to do a bench press when Graham touched her chest and said, 'Can you feel that?' Another student had her hips pushed by Graham while doing squats, and a third was complimented by Graham on her legs while doing another exercise. In early 2023, Graham was issued another letter of discipline about his conduct and ordered him to take a course on boundaries. The commissioner investigated and decided a one-day suspension and another course on professional boundaries was warranted, because Graham failed to create a positive learning environment or model appropriate behaviour, his conduct 'adversely impacted students' and made them uncomfortable, and his word choices and comments showed a lack of respect for First Nations. In an agreement also posted online Tuesday, Hussan Ali Riasat was suspended two days for getting into complicated, overly personal and sometimes profane exchanges in 2021 with students he labelled as 'bullies.' Also a high school teacher, Riasat intervened in a conflict among several Grade 10 students who weren't getting along. While trying to mediate, he shared details about his personal life, 'writing them overly personal and inappropriate messages' and leaving a lengthy inappropriate voice message with two students. In another message sent on MS Teams, Riasat called one of the students 'insanely childish and rude' and accused both students of engaging in 'attention-seeking behaviour and guilt-tripping.' When Riasat contacted another student asking them to help with the conflict, he told that student one of the others had a 'bitchy attitude' and called both 'manipulative.' At the end of the 2021 school year, Riasat made a report to the vice-principal that was highly critical of the students' behaviour and told at least one other teacher the students were bullies. When school resumed in fall, Riasat became frustrated at the continuing conflict among students and approached the president of a school club, telling the student one of the others in the club was a bully. That student was expelled from the club. In October 2023, the district disciplined Riasat with a five-day suspension without pay and ordered to take a course on boundaries. Then in May 2024, Riasat walked past a group of students and heard one make a comment about someone being bald. He turned and said, 'What the f— did you just say to me?' A Grade 9 student responded, 'Who the f— are you talking to?' to which Riasat responded, 'You.' He then said, 'F— you, bitch.' Based on these and other incidents when Riasat made poor decisions in dealing with students, the commissioner ordered a further two-day suspension that was served late last month. Riasat must also complete another course on boundaries. The commissioner did not name the school district where either Graham or Riasat worked to protect the students involved. jruttle@ B.C. teacher suspended an extra day for sharing stories with students of a 'sexual nature' Former elementary school principal in B.C. disciplined for spanking a student
The Independent
20-06-2025
- The Independent
Science teacher banned from classroom after telling pupil ‘I'm good at guessing bra sizes'
A teacher who told a pupil he was 'good at guessing sizes' of female bras has been banned from the classroom. Antony Jones, 59, who taught science at Humphry Davy School in Penzance, Cornwall, also created a Facebook Messenger group chat with a former Year 11 physics class to discuss the 'best looking' students at the school. A Teaching Regulation Agency (TRA) tribunal heard that Mr Jones set up the group chat with pupils who had left the school in 2019. In this group chat, he sent a message asking the former students, "So who was the best looking girl in your year?". He then voted in a poll created by one of the students, picking a former pupil with whom he had exchanged several messages in a 'sexually motivated' manner, the panel found. He had asked the student, known as pupil B, to send photographs of herself and sent several inappropriate messages, including: 'You are so photogenic! That translates to being beautiful! Hehe', and 'I thought you looked amazing last night x'. The 59-year-old also offered to take the 16-year-old student out for lunch and coffee. Within this group chat, Mr Jones also joined in on a joke about a former pupil measuring the size of his penis, according to the panel. The panel also found that the science teacher told a student he was 'good at guessing sizes' of female breasts, as well as asking her about her personal life and 'classroom romances'. The panel also found he hugged another student, known as pupil C. He also asked one student, referred to as pupil A, to "Spend some time with your least favourite teacher in a pub doing Maths?… drinks on me". The panel concluded from all of the evidence that Mr Jones has a 'fondness' for pupil B had led to him becoming attracted to her. The TRA said he was pursuing the 'remote prospect of a future sexual relationship' and, therefore, concluded his actions towards pupil B were sexually motivated. About voting in the poll, Mr Jones suggested that asking who was best looking was not necessarily the same thing as asking who was the most sexually attractive. However, the panel concluded the poll was not purely about aesthetics, but involved an element of sexual attractiveness. The TRA also found that in the group chat, Mr Jones 'indulged in sexual jokes and comments about another pupil from their year, as well as another teacher'. In mitigation, the panel found: 'Mr Jones had made admissions to a number of the allegations against him, and expressed a sincere apology and remorse for any pain that he had caused to anyone else by his conduct. 'He had shown some insight into the poor decision making that led to the allegations against him. 'However, the panel remained of the view that when giving evidence, Mr Jones had not shown full insight into his conduct or provided sufficient assurance that it would not be repeated should he find himself in a similar situation in future.' Mr Jones was been banned indefinitely from teaching in any school, sixth form college, relevant youth accommodation or children's home in England.
Daily Mail
19-06-2025
- Daily Mail
Teacher who sent student 35,000 messages before pursuing sexual relationship learns her fate
A female teacher who sent 35,000 messages to one of her students before having a sexual relationship with them after they graduated, has been banned from her job. Former Carey Baptist Grammar teacher Eleanor Louise Yorke was 26 in 2020 when she began dating an 18-year-old former student of hers, who cannot be named for legal reasons. Yorke had started working at the illustrious co-ed private school in 2017, teaching biology and chemistry to Year 12 students. During the Covid-19 lockdowns, Yorke and the Year 12 student talked online over Microsoft Teams. In 2020, the then-17-year-old student sought additional help with schoolwork, as they struggled with lockdowns, which turned into the pair speaking daily. The Victorian Institute of Teaching found Yorke sent the student 35,000 messages. 'It was also alleged that Ms Yorke then began a sexual relationship with the student after they had graduated and turned 18 and this relationship continued for a year,' a VIT statement read. On Thursday, the institute cancelled the now 31-year-old's registration and banned her from education for three years, starting from March, The Age reported. The disciplinary panel highlighted in its decision that there were several incidents. '[It] occurred over a period of years, changing in nature from professional interactions into personal, intimate discussions and culminating in a sexual relationship. 'This deliberate rejection of professional standards by a teacher whose skills and talents had led to rapid promotion was one for which the panel could find no justification, nor was there any satisfactory explanation.' 'The emails show an increased emotional bonding developing through the extensive number of messages,' the panel also said. 'There were also increasingly frequent references to taking the teacher's relationship with the student to a new level once the student had completed year 12.' In March, VIT had heard there was no sexual or intimate relationship between the pair while the student was studying at the school. On one occasion, Yorke asked the student if they should end their communications and told the hearing she tried to 'reset' boundaries. Yorke said their relationship was, however, entirely consensual, but she was worried about the circumstances. 'Even though we spoke about our concerns with [the power imbalance], it still exists,' she told the regulator. In the decision this week, the disciplinary panel noted the relationship had happened anyway. 'This relationship occurred despite [Yorke] being aware of the clear warnings against violating professional relationships with students,' the panel said. Yorke also told the March hearing she had been 'deeply lonely' at the time and had not yet 'come out'. Carey Baptist Grammar became aware of the relationship in 2023 and stood Yorke down over concerns for professional standards. Yorke, who described losing her job as 'horrible', has previously said she is now pursuing a career in psychology and claimed she had no desire to return to teaching.
The Independent
19-06-2025
- The Independent
Disgraced science teacher, 59, set up group chat with pupils to discuss students' bodies
A teacher has been banned from the classroom after setting up a group chat with former pupils to discuss the 'best looking' students at the school. Antony Jones, 59, taught science at Humphry Davy School in Penzance Cornwall, when he created a Facebook Messenger group chat with a former Year 11 physics class. A Teaching Regulation Agency (TRA) tribunal heard that Mr Jones set up the group chat with pupils who had left the school in 2019. In this group chat, he sent a message asking the former students, "So who was the best looking girl in your year?". He then voted in a poll created by one of the students, picking a former pupil with whom he had exchanged several messages in a 'sexually motivated' manner, the panel found. He had asked the student, known as pupil B, to send photographs of herself and sent several inappropriate messages, including: 'You are so photogenic! That translates to being beautiful! Hehe', and 'I thought you looked amazing last night x'. The 59-year-old also offered to take the 16-year-old student out for lunch and coffee. Within this group chat, Mr Jones also joined in on a joke about a former pupil measuring the size of his penis, according to the panel. The panel also found that the science teacher told a student he was 'good at guessing sizes' of female breasts, as well as asking her about her personal life and 'classroom romances'. The panel also found he hugged another student, known as pupil C. He also asked one student, referred to as pupil A, to "Spend some time with your least favourite teacher in a pub doing Maths?… drinks on me". The panel concluded from all of the evidence that Mr Jones has a 'fondness' for pupil B had led to him becoming attracted to her. The TRA said he was pursuing the 'remote prospect of a future sexual relationship' and, therefore, concluded his actions towards pupil B were sexually motivated. About voting in the poll, Mr Jones suggested that asking who was best looking was not necessarily the same thing as asking who was the most sexually attractive. However, the panel concluded the poll was not purely about aesthetics, but involved an element of sexual attractiveness. The TRA also found that in the group chat, Mr Jones 'indulged in sexual jokes and comments about another pupil from their year, as well as another teacher'. In mitigation, the panel found: 'Mr Jones had made admissions to a number of the allegations against him, and expressed a sincere apology and remorse for any pain that he had caused to anyone else by his conduct. 'He had shown some insight into the poor decision making that led to the allegations against him. 'However, the panel remained of the view that when giving evidence, Mr Jones had not shown full insight into his conduct or provided sufficient assurance that it would not be repeated should he find himself in a similar situation in future.' Mr Jones was been banned indefinitely from teaching in any school, sixth form college, relevant youth accommodation or children's home in England.
