Former B.C. teacher disciplined for misconduct that ‘approached grooming’

A empty hallway is seen in a stock photo. (THE CANADIAN PRESS/Jonathan Hayward)

A former teacher at a West Vancouver private school who committed misconduct by sending sexually suggestive messages to four of his Grade 7 students has been banned from applying for recertification for five years.

Jeffrey Forden Mooney relinquished his teaching certificate in 2021 – the same year the misconduct occurred, according to a decision from a disciplinary panel posted online Tuesday.

“Consequences affecting his certificate, such as cancellation, suspension, reprimand or limiting conditions are not available to the panel,” the decision noted.

A hearing into the misconduct allegations last year determined that Mooney’s messages to his young female students “sexual references and innuendo” and “raised “the spectre of grooming.”

Read more: Former B.C. teacher sent messages with ‘sexual references’ to Grade 7 girls: regulator

Mooney did not attend the hearing and has not otherwise participated in the disciplinary process.

The panel listed a litany of aggravating factors in the case. They were: “the respondent’s use of school digital communication inappropriately; the relentless number of communications to the four students, which continued even after the students had stopped replying and after the school had warned him of his lack of boundaries with students; the panel’s concern with the nature of the communications which approached grooming; and, his clear knowledge of the inappropriateness of the communications when he asked for secrecy from the students so that he would not be fired.”

A lack of remorse and apparent unwillingness to take accountability were also noted.

Deciding on a five-year ban, the panel emphasized the “exploitative and serious” nature of Mooney’s misconduct as well as the need to deter similar misconduct and to “maintain the public’s confidence in the system.”