A Maple Ridge–Pitt Meadows high school teacher has received a four-day suspension following a professional misconduct investigation by the B.C. Commissioner for Teacher Regulation.
According to a Consent Resolution Agreement released by the Commissioner, Duane Oliver Kirkpatrick admitted to inappropriate conduct toward a 17-year-old student in December 2021. At the time, Kirkpatrick was employed as a teacher with School District No. 42 (Maple Ridge–Pitt Meadows) and held a valid professional teaching certificate issued in 2020.
Incident at Bistro and Walmart
The agreement describes how Kirkpatrick first met the 17-year-old, identified as Student A, at a local beer market and bistro where she worked part-time.
He was wearing a shirt with his school’s logo and engaged her in conversation for about 30 minutes, complimenting her hair and discussing their respective schools.
After the student mentioned she was going to a nearby Walmart, Kirkpatrick later appeared at the same store. There, he approached her again, touched her shoulder, flicked her forehead, and pulled down her face mask to smell a candle. The document notes that the student appeared “concerned and uncomfortable” following the contact. Kirkpatrick then asked if she had a boyfriend and later requested her phone number.
District Discipline and Investigation
The School District issued Kirkpatrick a 10-day suspension without pay in May 2022 and required him to attend a boundaries workshop. He completed the course Reinforcing Respectful Professional Boundaries through the Justice Institute of British Columbia in March 2023 and has since participated in ongoing administrative monitoring.
On October 19, 2022, the Commissioner ordered a formal investigation under the Teachers Act. After reviewing the findings, the Commissioner proposed a consent resolution agreement, which Kirkpatrick accepted in September 2025.
Commissioner’s Findings and Penalty
The Commissioner concluded that a four-day suspension of Kirkpatrick’s teaching certificate, from October 7 to 10, 2025, was an appropriate consequence. “In pursuing a student for the purposes of a personal relationship, Mr. Kirkpatrick failed to treat the student with respect, made them feel unsafe, and failed to act as an appropriate role model,” the agreement stated.
In a statement outlining the agreement, the Commissioner said the disciplinary action “reinforces the importance of maintaining clear professional boundaries between teachers and students” and reflects the expectation that educators act as trusted role models.
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