Kamloops teacher disciplined for kissing student back in classroom | iNFOnews | Thompson-Okanagan's News Source
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Kamloops teacher disciplined for kissing student back in classroom

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- This story was originally published June 21, 2022.

A Kamloops mom is angry and worried now that a teacher who admitted to kissing a former student is working at Norkam Senior Secondary School.

Brett Wasylik made sexual advances toward the student in 2016, then admitted to the student's claims when he was investigated. Now that he's back at a Kamloops secondary school, the mom wants to know why he's allowed to work with children again.

Out of concern that her child would be identified, she asked that she only be identified by her first name, Ricki.

"I'm really worried because I feel like every day he's allowed to continue being around minors, is another day that those minors are at risk of being groomed, made to feel uncomfortable or worse," Ricki said.

READ MORE: Kamloops school district still can't fire teacher, but isn't giving up

When her child called her upset after seeing Wasylik at the school again, Ricki complained to the principal, the school district, local MLAs and provincial ministers.

The principal of the school said his "hands are tied," according to Ricki. She hasn't heard a response from anyone else since June 14, one day after she learned Wasylik was teaching again.

Wasylik was investigated by the Kamloops-Thompson school district, then the B.C. Teachers Federation, after a 17-year-old student claimed he followed her to the parking lot at a local restaurant.

There, he kissed her on the neck and told her she "was hot" after showing her a shirtless pictures of himself.

READ MORE: Kamloops-Thompson school district fighting kissing teacher reinstatement order

The student claimed he made the sexual advances in 2016, which he admitted were true to the B.C. Teachers Federation. He was suspended without pay for three days, but the school district appealed that decision, aiming to have Wasylik fired.

Last fall, the B.C. Labour Relations Board decided the school district could not fire him because he had already been punished.

The school district later vowed it would continue to fight the decision and fire him, but now that he's been working at Norkam, the school district appears to have failed.

At the time of the October 2021 decision, he wasn't working for the school district, but he's been working at Norkam this month.

READ MORE: B.C. teacher who had sexual relationship with student banned for life

Wasylik wasn't available when iNFOnews.ca reached out to the school, but an employee confirmed he was working on Monday and is expected to return Tuesday.

Board chair Rhonda Kershaw told iNFOnews.ca in October the school district would "take all steps available to us to ensure the safety and security of our students."

While she said there were "potential" next steps, she did not detail exactly what that could be.

School District 73 superintendent Rhonda Nixon was not available to comment.

It's not clear exactly how long Wasylik has been teaching again for the school district, but Ricki said his first day at Norkam was June 13, where he teaches gym classes and career education.

Meanwhile, Ricki is still left with questions.

"How is a teacher who made sexual advances toward and intimately touched a minor allowed back to teach more minors?" she said.


To contact a reporter for this story, email Levi Landry or call 250-819-3723 or email the editor. You can also submit photos, videos or news tips to the newsroom and be entered to win a monthly prize draw.

We welcome your comments and opinions on our stories but play nice. We won't censor or delete comments unless they contain off-topic statements or links, unnecessary vulgarity, false facts, spam or obviously fake profiles. If you have any concerns about what you see in comments, email the editor in the link above. 

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