Teacher in B.C. Interior suspended after telling girls he 'was not a pedophile': regulator

Akshay Kulkarni · CBC News

· Posted: Jul 09, 2025 8:23 PM EDT | Last Updated: July 10

The B.C. Commissioner for Teacher Regulation has suspended a teacher successful the province's Interior aft helium reportedly told Grade 11 girls successful fittingness people that helium was "not a pedophile" and touched immoderate of them, making them uncomfortable.

Todd Erin Graham consented to a one-day suspension of his teaching certificate and to be a respectful boundaries course, arsenic portion of subject relating to events successful the 2022-23 schoolhouse year.

In a consent statement posted online connected Tuesday, the regulator recovered Graham was teaching a fittingness and conditioning people to Grade 11 students betwixt September and December 2022 erstwhile helium separated the girls from the boys.

"In that meeting, Graham told the girls that helium was 'not a pedophile' but that helium mightiness person to 'grab them' to amusement them due signifier oregon to spot them," the consent statement reads.

"Graham past told them that helium had nary attraction to them arsenic helium was 52 and they were 15."

The pistillate students reportedly felt uncomfortable aft the meeting, with Graham besides saying he would periodically interaction students to assistance them with their signifier oregon enactment musculus groups.

Those included occasions erstwhile helium touched the broadside of a pistillate student's thorax portion she was performing a seat property and asked, "Can you consciousness that?"

Graham was besides recovered to person pushed a student's hips portion she utilized a squat rack, and complimented different student's legs portion she utilized a limb property machine.

Demeaning comments

The regulator besides recovered helium made demeaning comments to some an Indigenous pupil and a pupil with divers needs, portion singling them retired successful beforehand of their classmates successful the 2022-23 schoolhouse year.

Following those events, the schoolhouse territory gave him a missive of subject and ordered him to be 2 online courses regarding Indigenous taste information and reconciliation.

The commissioner's consent statement says Graham agreed his actions constituted nonrecreational misconduct and agreed to his one-day suspension.

"Graham failed to make a affirmative learning situation oregon to exemplary due behaviour," the statement reads.

"Graham failed to respect due boundaries, making students consciousness uncomfortable."