Vancouver Band Teacher Banned for Student Assault

A Vancouver band teacher, Robert Kyle Ledingham, has been permanently barred from teaching after admitting to sexually assaulting a student. Ledingham’s guilty plea to one count of sexual assault in May 2024 led to the decision by the B.C. Commissioner for Teacher Regulation to prohibit him from seeking re-certification in British Columbia. Initially facing charges of sexual exploitation and assault in September 2020, Ledingham was accused of inappropriate conduct with a student who volunteered at a Vancouver high school where he taught band between April and June 2019. The student, whose identity is protected by a court order, attended a different school from where Ledingham worked. Following his guilty plea, Ledingham received a 15-month conditional sentence order, which included a restriction from seeking employment in roles involving minors. The Vancouver School District terminated his employment in November 2024. By acknowledging his actions as professional misconduct in a consent agreement, Ledingham accepted a lifelong ban on applying for a teaching certificate.