A Barrhead Composite High School (BCHS) teacher has been charged with three counts of sexual exploitation of a young person.
On Jan. 25, Barrhead RCMP officers arrested and charged a 43-year-old man following a Jan. 23 complaint and subsequent investigation.
RCMP allege the teacher had made inappropriate interactions with three BCHS students through the social media application Snapchat beginning in October 2016. No physical contact was reported.
RCMP also say that at the time of the alleged incidents, the accused was also a teacher at R.F. Staples High School.
Snapchat, the application usually used on cellphones, allows users to share photos and videos along with accompanying short text messages.
After the recipient views a Snapchat message, it self-destructs — however a recipient can also take a screenshot of the shared content before it expires.
RCMP said the identities, ages and grades of the youth involved would not be released.
Pembina Hills Public Schools (PHPS) Supt. Colleen Symyrozum-Watt said that since it is a personnel issue, she wasn’t in the position to comment about specifics, but said they have policies in place to deal with situations like this.
“If and when we are advised of allegations of inappropriate behaviour, we immediately launch an investigation,” she said.
She added that when appropriate, PHPS works with external agencies, such as the RCMP, in their investigations.
“We then take steps to ensure our students are safe. This may include making arrangements that the employee has no direct contact with students,” she said.
However, when asked about this situation specifically, Symyrozum-Watt would not say if the accused had been removed from the classroom pending the results of an investigation or court case.
“Depending on the results of our investigation, we will take disciplinary steps that we deem appropriate,” she said. “Our actions are guided by our commitment to student safety and our expectation that our employees adhere to the ATA (Alberta Teachers’ Association) code of conduct, our responsibilities under the School Act, as well as respect for the legal process and the privacy of the individuals involved.”
According to the PHPS Employee Code of Ethics, employees are expected to “honour the trust which is placed in them by working under the restraints of confidentiality and shall not divulge confidential or sensitive information received in the course of his/her duties to unauthorized personnel,” and are “expected to exemplify high standards of personal integrity and shall be an advocate for the school and division in the community.”
An employee may receive “progressive discipline” for “improper or unprofessional conduction,” as stated in the division’s Administrative Procedures Manual.
Symyrozum-Watt said trustees were made aware prior to the RCMP press release.
“As soon as it was brought to our attention, we launched an investigation and then we take steps to ensure our students are safe,” she added, but didn’t elaborate on what specific steps were taken.
She also declined to elaborate when asked to identify which classes the accused taught or how long he has been with either school.
“That’s a level of detail I will not provide the newspaper and it speaks to that particular piece on protecting his individual privacy at this point,” she said.
BCHS principal Steven Kaplan said he wasn’t at liberty to comment about the situation, saying all media requests were being directed to the superintendent, but added he would be sending an information letter to parents.
R.F. Staples principal Courtney Lawrance, who issued a letter to parents via e-mail Jan. 27 which mainly reiterates Symyrozum-Watt’s points, but does include the RCMP press release, referred any questions back to the superintendent.
As of Jan. 29, Pembina Hills has not posted any information regarding the incident on its webpage.
Andrew Philip Jissink, 43, is charged with three counts of Sexual Exploitation of a Young Person - Sect. 153(1)(b). A bail hearing was held and Jissink was released on a recognizance with numerous conditions and will make his first appearance in Barrhead Provincial Court Feb. 14.
Jissink was released on his own recognizance with a number of conditions attached following a Jan. 25 bail hearing.
Jissink was contacted by the News but declined comment.
Anyone with information about the incident is asked to contact the Barrhead RCMP Detachment at 780-674-4848 or to anonymously submit a tip to Crime Stoppers by calling 1-800-222-8477 or online at www.tipsubmit.com.
