A former Delta high school teacher has received a lifetime ban from teaching as a result of a Surrey Creep Catchers sting in 2017.
In a (June 22), B.C. Commissioner for Teacher Regulation Howard Kushner cancelled Simon William IsbisterB次元官网网址檚 certificate of qualification under sections 53 and 64(e) of the Teachers Act, and Isbister agreed never to teach in the kindergarten to Grade 12 system or at an independent school.
The commissionerB次元官网网址檚 decision stems from an incident that occurred over the course of a week in late-November 2017.
According to an agreed statement of facts, Isbister posted in the B次元官网网址淐asual EncountersB次元官网网址� section of Craigslist on Nov. 20 that he looking for someone interested in meeting with him and another person, and included a photograph of himself and this other person.
That same day he responded to an ad posted by someone using the name B次元官网网址淟o Lo,B次元官网网址� who purported to be an 18-year-old female. B次元官网网址淟o LoB次元官网网址� later replied saying her name was Sierra and she was B次元官网网址渢urning 13,B次元官网网址� and attached a photo of the bottom half of a young girlB次元官网网址檚 face showing her tongue with a stud piercing.
Isbister replied he thought 13 was B次元官网网址渧ery youngB次元官网网址� and he was B次元官网网址渘ot sure how I feel about that.B次元官网网址�
Sierra responded, B次元官网网址淟ol. No worries. IB次元官网网址檓 mature. And attracted to older guys.B次元官网网址� Isbister then asked if Sierra had B次元官网网址減layed with many older guys,B次元官网网址� to which she replied B次元官网网址渁 couple.B次元官网网址�
B次元官网网址淟ucky them!B次元官网网址� Isbister replied.
He went on to ask her more about these encounters and her living arrangements.
Isbister wrote he was curious to meet her but nervous as he could B次元官网网址済et into a lot of trouble for meeting a girl so young.B次元官网网址� Sierra said she was nervous too and promised to never tell anyone. Isbister then asked for her phone number.
The two exchanged a series of text messages over the next several days. On Nov. 23, Sierra asked if the other person in IsbisterB次元官网网址檚 photo knew about the proposed date and SierraB次元官网网址檚 age. Isbister replied, B次元官网网址淣o, not entirely.B次元官网网址�
On Nov. 25, Isbister made plans to meet Sierra at a Tim HortonB次元官网网址檚 in Surrey two days later.
Isbister arrived at the Tim HortonB次元官网网址檚 at around 10:30 p.m. on Nov. 27 and waited in his car. Sierra texted him to say she was nearly there and asked him to buy her a hot chocolate so she would be able to identify him.
At nearly 11 p.m., as Isbister was ordering and paying for hot chocolate, a man from Surrey Creep Catchers came in and called B次元官网网址淪imon! Simon! WhatB次元官网网址檚 up?B次元官网网址� while video recording the interaction.
When the man asked Isbister if he knew who the man was, Isbister replied, B次元官网网址淚 can guess.B次元官网网址�
The exchange between the two lasted about 15 minutes. Isbister told the man he came to meet Sierra because he was worried about her, and acknowledged that SierraB次元官网网址檚 profile stated she was 18 but that she had told him she was 12.
Surrey Creep Catchers posted video of the encounter online under the title B次元官网网址淪imonB次元官网网址� on Nov. 28, 2017.
An anonymous caller brought the video to the attention of the Delta School District on Aug. 22, 2018. The Ministry of Education was told of the video by an anonymous caller on Aug. 23.
The district suspended Isbister on Aug. 27, and he resigned from his job on Sept. 21.
The commissioner considered the matter on Oct. 13, 2020 and proposed Isbister sign a consent resolution agreement. That agreement was signed by Isbister and the commissioner on June 3 and 4, 2021.
In the consent resolution agreement, the commissioner called IsbisterB次元官网网址檚 actions B次元官网网址渧ery serious misconduct that undermines the public confidence in the education system,B次元官网网址� noting his conduct spanned several days and showed a pattern of persistence in meeting with Sierra, and that he was aware the entire time that her could B次元官网网址済et into a lot of trouble.B次元官网网址�
The decision did not specify which high school Isbister had been employed at when the events in question occurred.
editor@northdeltareporter.com
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