B.C. teacher suspended for ‘fraudulently’ using sick days for Japan vacation: regulator

A empty teacher's desk is pictured in an empty classroom at Mcgee Secondary school in Vancouver on Sept. 5, 2014. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Jonathan Hayward

A Vancouver Island teacher who was previously disciplined for “time theft” after making social media videos during work hours has had his licence suspended for two weeks by the professional regulator.

Alex Chen, a middle school teacher with the Saanich school district, admitted to professional misconduct and accepted the penalty in a consent resolution agreement with the B.C. Commissioner for Teacher Regulation, which was posted online Tuesday.

In March 2025, Chen “fraudulently” scheduled three days of paid sick leave that corresponded with the three school days leading up to spring break, according to the agreement.

“Chen was not, in fact, sick, but had scheduled those days off so that he could fly to Japan,” the document said, adding the trip was a “personal vacation.”

Chen admitted he did this the day after he was issued a disciplinary letter by the school district over allegations he filmed social media content identifying himself as a teacher and that the videos were created on school grounds, during school hours.

“In a number of these social media posts, Chen used artwork, thank-you cards and gifts created and/or provided by students, without express permission to do so. In the course of the district investigation, the district reminded Chen that creating social media content during school hours constituted time theft,” the consent resolution agreement said.

Chen also admitted to misconduct over a two-year-period with a former student which “involved repeated violations of professional boundaries,” the agreement said. He admitted to sending the student more than 80 emails, recommending “sexually explicit music” to the former student, and showing up to sports matches the student was playing in when he was “not otherwise involved as a coach or teacher,” according to the document.

The district terminated Chen’s employment in May of 2025.

In addition to a two-week licence suspension, Chen agreed to a “limitation” on his certificate of qualification wherein he is prohibited from working as a teacher until he has completed a course on professional boundaries, the agreement said.