B.C. teacher fired, licence suspended over inappropriate student interactions and sick-leave fraud
Alex Chen sent dozens of emails to a former student; he also used three paid sick days for a vacation, B.C. regulator says
By Cheryl Chan
Last updated 2 hours ago
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A Saanich teacher was fired and had his teaching licence suspended after a series of inappropriate interactions with a former student and fraudulent use of sick leave for a vacation.
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Alex Chen was a middle-school teacher in the Saanich school district when he repeatedly violated professional boundaries with a former student, said a decision from the B.C. commissioner for teacher regulation, posted Tuesday.
The decision outlined the violations, which occurred over two years after the student transferred to another school.
It said Chen sent the student more than 80 emails, a gift card, and recommended the student listen to sexually explicit music.
Chen also reached out to the student in the summer and during spring break, including a message sent just before midnight one New Year’s Eve, and showed up at games the student was scheduled to play in, even though he wasn’t involved in the games in a formal capacity as a coach or teacher.
The commissioner said Chen’s behaviour spanned a “significant” period of time and showed a lack of understanding of appropriate professional boundaries.
Chen was also disciplined for the misuse of sick days.
Chen had scheduled three days of paid sick leave on March 11, 12 and 13, 2025, said the decision, when he “was not, in fact, sick, but had scheduled those days off so that he could fly to Japan on March 12, 2025, for a personal vacation over the spring break.”
The fraudulent use of sick days came a day after the district issued Chen a letter of discipline alleging he filmed personal social media content during work hours, which the district considered “time theft.”
In the videos, Chen identified himself as a teacher and “used artwork, thank-you cards and gifts created and/or provided by students, without express permission to do so,” said the decision.
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Chen was fired on May 5, 2025. Three days later, the district reported Chen to the disciplinary body.
As part of the consent resolution agreement, Chen admitted fraudulent use of sick days and that his contact with the student constituted professional misconduct.
The commissioner suspended Chen’s teaching certificate for two weeks and prohibited him from teaching until he completes a mandatory course on professional boundaries.
