B.C. teacher suspended for taking on a ‘counsellor’ role with students

A B.C. teacher who clearly cared for his students has been suspended for three days for taking on a "counsellor type" role with several of his pupils.

The teacher was also reprimanded for hugging two of his student when they were upset.

Surrey teacher Jeffrey Stephen Box agreed to a three-day suspension from the B.C. Commissioner for Teacher Regulation, having already served a five-day unpaid suspension dished out by the school district.

According to a Mar. 1 B.C. Commissioner for Teacher Regulation decision, from 2018 to 2020, Box "engaged in personal discussions" with at least four students.

"(The discussions) were in the nature of counselling although Box was not the students’ counsellor," reads the decision. "In June of 2019 and in the fall of 2019, Box was told by School administrators not to take on a counselling role with students. Despite this direction, Box engaged in discussions of a counselling nature with students and on two occasions he hugged students who were upset."

READ MORE: B.C. teacher reprimanded for 'upsetting' students by raising his voice

The teacher's care and compassion wasn't appreciated by the regulator.

"Box’s conduct showed a lack of understanding of appropriate professional boundaries by engaging with students in a 'counsellor type' role," the decision says. "Box had been advised on more than one occasion not to take on a 'counsellor type' role."

No other details are given in the decision about what took place.

Along with the suspension, Box was also agreed to complete a Reinforcing Respectful Professional Boundaries course.

READ MORE: B.C. teacher suspended for letting kids cross the road without supervision

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