A Langley private school teacher has been disciplined for touching students hair, heads, and shoulders, and in one case smelling one of them.
Veeran Ramdin has had his teaching certificate suspended for one day, and agreed to take a course called Reinforcing Respectful Professional Boundaries through the Justice Institute, as part of a consent agreement he signed with the B.C. Commissioner for Teacher Regulation.
The consent agreement sets out the facts of the incidents, which Ramdin has agreed are accurate.
A high school teacher, he began working at a new job in an independent school in late summer of 2019.
In September, three Grade 11 students reported to the school’s vice-principal that Ramdin had touched students’ hair, heads, and shoulders, and had removed a classmate’s glasses without permission.
“The students reported feeling uncomfortable as a result,” the consent agreement said.
In the same month, Ramdin told the class that one student looked as if they belonged in Grade 5, and openly teased them about whether they were dating the student sitting next to them.
That student switched out of Ramdin’s class.
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The principal met with Ramdin about the incidents of touching their shoulders, hair, or heads on Sept. 12, and Ramdin assured the principal it would not happen again.
On Oct. 21, a student went to Ramdin’s classroom to make up a missed lab, and when Ramdin walked past the student he said “What’s that smell?”
He then leaned in to smell the student’s neck sand said “You smell good.”
The student was very uncomfortable, the consent agreement said.
Ramdin resigned from the school by Nov. 12.
The Commissioner found that Ramdin’s conduct showed a lack of understanding of professional boundaries, and created a negative learning environment.
There had been a previous incident at another independent school where Ramdin had taught from 2010 to 2019, where a student reported feeling uncomfortable about Ramdin touching their head, resulting in the principal there talking to Ramdin about maintaining a professional distance from students.
Ramdin has until the end of March to complete his course on professional boundaries or seek permission for an extension. Failing to complete the course could result in further suspension of his teaching license until he does.
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