A former Grade 7 teacher at a West Vancouver private school has been banned from applying to teach for five years after being found guilty of professional misconduct.
Jeffrey Forden Mooney quit teaching in October 2021 — a few months after "inappropriate" electronic messages with "sexual innuendos" and "personally invasive comments" were discovered between him and four female students.
Back in September 2024, a three-person panel for B.C.'s teacher regulation branch found Mooney guilty of professional misconduct. The school where Mooney taught is not disclosed in the ruling.
"He counselled the students to keep the messages to themselves while making his own admissions that he knew the communications could get him fired,” the panel said in its written decision in 2024. The panel said he failed in his duty to be a role model and that his conduct was a marked departure from what is expected of teachers.
Since Mooney relinquished his teaching certificate, the hearing panel cannot cancel, suspend, reprimand or limit conditions.
"We are left, for determination, with only the consequence under s.64 (g) of the Act which is a requirement not to re-issue any authorizations to teach,” reads the panel's decision, published March 18.
The commissioner suggested an 18- to 24-month ban but the panel said a larger ban of 60 months "is warranted."
Mooney sent a "relentless number of communications to the four students which continued even after the students had stopped replying" and did so after the school had warned him of his lack of boundaries with students.
“The panel’s concern with the nature of the communications which approached grooming; and, his clear knowledge of the inappropriateness of the communications when he asked for secrecy from the students so that he would not be fired,” stated the decision.
Mooney did not appear for the hearing or provide a written submission when invited to do so.
“There has been no expression of remorse or indeed, of any indication that Mr. Mooney even understood the seriousness of the potential harm to the students. He expressed only his understanding of the serious effect on him and his employment if caught.”
Both the panel and commissioner agree his misconduct is at the serious end of the spectrum when it comes to the duty of a teacher not harming or exploiting students.
"The penalty must be of sufficient weight to act as a general deterrence to other teachers and to maintain the public’s confidence in the system,” the ruling said.
The panel believes Mooney "has the effect of harming the reputation of the teaching profession as a whole" and that he breached the fundamental duty to his students and the public.
Mooney’s five-year ban on teaching will last until February 2030.
Used Instagram, school's Google Chat to send messages
Mooney held a teacher's certificate since 2016.
The panel said he attempted to prompt the female students into sexualized topics "and the sexual innuendo in some of the messages raises the spectre of grooming."
"Asking about their crushes and the nature of other classmates’ relationships is highly personal and inappropriate," the panel said. "He also used profanity, discussed other staff members with the students and offered to finish homework for student A."
Mooney sent messages to the students via the school's Google Chat education platform and Instagram, between June and July 2021.
The girls were between 12 and 13 years old and in Grade 7 at the time.
The students were referred to in the ruling by aliases A, B, C and D. Both students A and B were taught by the teacher during the messages.
Private messages with student A and the teacher included sexual references and innuendos, comments about that student and other students.
One message he sent, according to the ruling, was "Aww ok but for real [student A] I'll miss you."
He also told the student adults are the best because "we can drive and drink and buy shit and have sex and do alllll the fun stuff and [You didn't hear that from me]."
"The [teacher] ignored his responsibilities to the affected students by communicating with them on personal matters such as their crushes and their sexual experience,” the panel said.
In an online message with student B, the teacher used profanity, made comments about other students and staff, and asked her about her crushes. The teacher spoke about a condominium, which he allegedly lied about being his, and asked the student to keep the messages a secret.
"He lied to student B about the condominium in an obvious attempt to impress her,” the panel said.
Messages showed the teacher asking who student B had a crush on to which she responded, "I like myself" and he said "I like you too."
Over Instagram messages, the teacher told student C she was "cool" and made comments about other students.
He also used Instagram to communicate with student D. He used profanity, made comments about other students and also told her to keep the messages to herself.
