Nanaimo teacher banned for 15 years after ‘sexual’ messages with students: regulator

A former teacher in the Nanaimo-Ladysmith district has been issued a 15-year ban from the provincial teacher regulation board after he sent messages “sexual in nature” to three teenagers.

In a discipline outcome on July 19, the B.C. Commissioner for Teacher Regulation says Neil Stewart Holmes sent sexual messages to the three teens between 2014 and 2016.

The commission says two of the teenagers were students at the time, while another, had just graduated.

In the statement of facts agreed upon by Holmes and the commission, Holmes is said to have sent students sexually explicit photos of himself, along with messages “indicating … where he would like to have sex with Student A.”

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The commission says in July 2016, Student B “posted a warning on Facebook that not all teachers at the School were good people.”

“Holmes’ name was attached to the post. Holmes responded to Student B by requesting that the post be removed, or he would contact the police,” the discipline outcome said.

Holmes was placed on paid leave in February 2021. Holmes then resigned from the district have six months of unpaid leave in January 2022.

The commission found Holmes engaged in professional misconduct and “conduct unbecoming” contrary to the provincial educator’s standards.

Holmes will not be able to apply for a teacher’s certificate for a period of 15 years, the disciplinary commission ruled, as he “failed to maintain teacher-student boundaries by engaging in inappropriate communication of a sexual nature with current and former students.”