A BC teacher has been banned for 10 years from teaching because of breaching inappropriate boundaries with his students.
According to a consent resolution agreement posted by the BC Commissioner for Teacher Regulation, Joseph James Hizon Arnesto.
Joseph James Hizon Arnesto taught grades 7 to 12 at a independent school until the summer of 2020. The school name and name of stufents were withheld in the report to protect the identities of the students.
The commissioner found over the years he was teaching at the school he engaged in inappropriate relationships with at least four students breaching professional boundaries – student A, B, C, D.
Arnesto would meet with Student A for coffee and disscuss person matters. Arnesto would also exchange messages through text and social media platforms facbook, Instagram and snapchat.
After Student A graduated from the school Arnesto made it clear he wanted to have a romantic relationship with them.
The second, Student B was in grade 8 when Arnesto exchanged messages through Facebook and Instagram. Arnesto would persistently ask them about personal matters and their family while grooming them for the next four years.
One week after Student B graduated, Arnesto told them he wanted to have a relationship.
The third one was Student C in grade 10. Arnesto would regularly text with Student C while some were related to schoolwork they bridged in to breaching professional boundaries ask8ng the student about they family and romantic life.
The final student the commissioner found Arnesto had a private conversation with was another one in Grade 8.
Arnesto knew he was under the scope because he was told on multiple occasions by the principal to not have conversations about non-school related things. Arnesto was also given a written warning about clear and professional boundaries.
On July 16, 2020, the school’s superintendent reported Arnesto to the regulation branch and the school did not renew his contract for 21/22 school year.
