The head of the Greater Victoria School District is encouraging parents to contact him personally if they are concerned about the return of a currently suspended teacher to Victoria High School.
Superintendent Piet Langstraat stated that he will address any concerns about their children brought to him from parents of students at Vic High relating to teacher Robert Ammon’s presence at the school.
READ: Victoria teacher suspended for professional misconduct
Last May, Ammon had his teaching certification suspended for five months for professional misconduct by the B.C. Teachers Branch, after being found to have operated outside the reasonable boundaries of a teacher-student relationship with a male student in 2013.
The panel that handed out Ammon’s discipline determined that while the misconduct was not of a sexual nature, the relationship – within the context of the allegations – was not appropriate.
It was not known whether Ammon has completed a course on Reinforcing Respectful Professional Boundaries, mandated by the branch as part his return to teaching. Based on the terms of the decision he would return to teaching at the end of January.
Langstraat would not say whether the tone or volume of parent complaints about the situation would affect Ammon’s placement, only that parents are free to contact him about the issue.