A Vancouver ex-band instructor has been permanently barred from teaching after admitting to sexually assaulting a student. Robert Kyle Ledingham won’t be permitted to seek a teaching license in British Columbia following his guilty plea to one sexual assault charge in May 2024, as outlined in an agreement by the B.C. Commissioner for Teacher Regulation. Ledingham, a certified teacher since May 2008, faced initial charges of two counts of sexual exploitation and one count of sexual assault in September 2020.
The accusations revolved around a student who volunteered at a high school in the Vancouver School District, where Ledingham taught high school band, between April and June 2019. The student, unnamed due to a court-ordered ban, attended a different high school than Ledingham’s workplace.
After pleading guilty to one count of sexual assault in May 2024, the band teacher had the other charges dismissed. He received a 15-month conditional sentence order, with a stipulation that he cannot pursue positions of authority over individuals under 18. Ledingham was subsequently terminated by the Vancouver School District in November 2024.
In the agreement, the former band teacher acknowledged his actions as professional misconduct, leading to a lifelong ban on applying for a teaching certificate.