Ashley WadhwaniBlack Press
A former teacher in the Boundary School District has been banned from teaching for a ten-year period after he sent sexually explicit messages, links to porn and a shirtless photo of himself to a Grade 12 student.
According to a report issued Tuesday by the Teacher Regulation Branch, Robert William Stevenson confirmed that he had initially sent messages to the student in order to “hook up.”
The report documents a series of inappropriate messages Stevenson sent over the span of four days through an “adult social networking app” to a student in January 2015.
The student signed up for the app shortly after turning 18 years old, the report says.
Stevenson sent two messages to the student at 10 p.m. and 11 p.m. on night, trying to start a conversation.
Two days later, the student replied writing “um hi Mr. Stevinson (sic).”
When the student asked if Stevenson knew they were a student at the school he taught at, he replied that he “just took the risk to say hi.”
The messages turned sexually explicit, the report says, with Stevenson sharing “graphic details” of his own sexual experiences. After the student said goodnight, Stevenson offered his phone number and told them he was “always down to chill hang hookup discretely.”
Stevenson continued, sending a link to a restricted access porn site with his username and password, encouraging the student to check it out.
Through the entire exchange, the student didn’t respond, the report says.
Four days after the first contact, Stevenson sent a shirtless picture of himself.The student responded that night saying they weren’t interested in pursuing any type of relationship with Stevenson.
He apologized, writing, “I’ve disrespected you, harassed you, and put you on (sic) a very uncomfortable position. My actions weren’t ethical nor professional.”]
The school district put Stevenson on administrative leave that following spring. He resigned a few months later.
He has been ordered by the branch not to apply for a teaching certificate for the next ten years.
This story will be updated as more information becomes available.
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