Reprimand for BC teacher who left student behind on field trip

A BC teacher who accidentally left a pupil behind during a field trip to a park has been reprimanded.

According to a Sept. 1, BC Commissioner for Teacher Regulation decision, Kootenay Lake teacher William Mallachd Klassen took his combined Grade 6 and 7 class to the park in June 2025, but unintentionally left one student behind.

“Klassen failed to take reasonable steps to ensure student safety, resulting in a child being left alone at a park and exposed to a significant safety risk,” the Commissioner said in the decision.

The decision said the field trip was unplanned and the park was only a 10-minute walk away.

Klassen’s class stayed there for 25 minutes, but he failed to take attendance before they returned back to school, and one child was left behind.

The decision said the child had one-to-one support from an educational assistant, but Klassen told the assistant to stay behind.

The student walked back to class themselves, arriving about five minutes later than the rest of class.

“The Student was not physically injured but was crying and visibly upset upon returning to the school,” the decision said. “After the student returned, Klassen immediately informed the school’s principal of the incident, accepted responsibility for his conduct, informed the student’s parents of what had occurred, and apologized to both the student and the parents.”

The school gave Klassen a formal letter of reprimand before handing the file to the teaching regulator.

Klassen only began teaching in BC in 2024 and signed a consent agreement with the Commissioner admitting to his conduct.

The Commissioner said that Klassen had immediately accepted responsibility and acknowledged the seriousness of his conduct.