B.C. high school teacher suspended for declaring his love for a student

A Lower Mainland teacher that texted a Grade 12 student and told them he was in love with them has been suspended for a month.

Chilliwack teacher Sheldon Lyle Nickel also called another student in tears after he'd been drinking.

According to a July 6 B.C. Commissioner for Teacher Regulation decision, Sheldon was teaching in the Chilliwack School district when the incidents took place in 2021.

In one instance Sheldon was talking to a Grade 11 student who was going through a difficult time and he gave them a hug and kissed them on the forehead.

He then met the same student along with another student for lunch just before they were starting Grade 12. Afterwards, he gave them both a hug.

Later, he crossed personal boundaries by confiding in one of the two students about his personal problems. He then sent them multiple text messages and called them crying after he had been drinking.

Sheldon texted the student that he loved them and missed them.

On one occasion he drove with the student alone in his car, even though he'd been told by the school's principal in the spring of 2019 that he should not do so.

Following complaints, the school district suspended him for seven days without pay. He was also removed from the school and ordered to complete a reinforcing respectful professional boundaries course.

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The decision said Sheldon became a qualified teacher in B.C. in 2001 and had previously been warned about his behaviour.

In 2019, he was issued a letter of expectation to "ensure that his interactions with students remain professional."

He was told to only provide transportation to students if there is another staff member in the vehicle, and "engage in verbal interactions that maintain respect and dignity for the students."

Sheldon signed a consent resolution agreement admitting to the incidents in 2021 and agreed to a one-month suspension.

No other details are given in the decision.

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