A Vancouver ex-band instructor has been permanently barred from teaching after admitting to sexually assaulting a student. Robert Kyle Ledingham will not have the option to seek reinstatement of his teaching license in British Columbia following his admission to one count of sexual assault in May 2024, as indicated by an agreement from the B.C. Commissioner for Teacher Regulation. Ledingham, a certified teacher since May 2008, initially faced charges of two counts of sexual exploitation and one count of sexual assault in September 2020.
The accusations pertained to a student who had been volunteering at a high school in the Vancouver School District where Ledingham instructed high school band between April and June 2019. The student’s identity remains protected by a court-mandated publication ban and attended a different high school from where Ledingham taught.
In May 2024, the band teacher admitted guilt to one count of sexual assault while the other charges were dropped, according to the agreement. He received a 15-month conditional sentence, one condition being the prohibition from seeking employment in roles involving authority over individuals under 18. Subsequently, Ledingham was terminated by the Vancouver School District in November 2024.
Acknowledging his actions as professional misconduct, the former band teacher agreed in the consent agreement that he will be permanently ineligible to apply for a teaching certificate.