The handling of sexual misconduct by a teacher at Hudson’s Bay High School more than a decade ago was disappointing. But when mistakes are made, the hope is that lessons will be learned and improvements will be implemented.
Such is the case in Vancouver Public Schools. The district’s board of directors has promptly released the findings of investigations into the misconduct and has stressed the need for transparency and accountability. That is the proper course for improving the handling of controversial situations and for engendering the trust of the public.
In December, Hudson’s Bay teacher Shadbreon Gatson was arrested on suspicion of first-degree sexual misconduct with a minor. A former student, now 27, had reported to school officials and police that she was sexually victimized in 2013, when she was 16.
Although charges were not filed against Gatson because the statute of limitations had expired, the situation resulted in a third-party investigation. The inquiry, completed Jan. 28, included interviews with three former students who said they experienced sexual encounters with Gatson, including on school grounds and at the teacher’s house. Gatson resigned on Feb. 3.
A second investigation, completed last week, found that district and school officials failed to conduct thorough investigations, properly discipline Gatson, or effectively share information.
Investigators added that administrators failed to spot red flags, and that adequate inquiries at the time may have provided grounds for Gaston’s firing. According to court records, a Hudson’s Bay custodian in June 2013 told the school’s principal, William Oman, and assistant principal, Valerie Seeley, that he interrupted Gatson and the student engaging in sexual intercourse in a band room after hours.
Clearly, mistakes were made in 2013, endangering students at Hudson’s Bay for more than a decade. That must not be overlooked. But changes have been made. Last week, school board members released the reports and sent a letter to families, stressing the district’s commitment to transparency, accountability and school safety.
The action stands in contrast to an incident at Hudson’s Bay in May 2022. A 16-year-old girl was found unresponsive in a school bathroom, suffering from a fentanyl overdose, and died six days later. District officials did not inform families or staff of the death, and police were not called to investigate the overdose.
The incident undermined public trust, and restoring that trust requires decisive and consistent action.
Seeley now is principal at Hudson’s Bay and Oman works in the district office. Both have been on administrative leave during the investigations, and they will return in modified roles for the remainder of the school year.
As the school board specified: “We recognize there is a difference between covering something up and not having the right knowledge or systems in place to discover or address it. We also believe that people evolve and improve in their roles over time. … There are also very different expectations, systems and support structures in place to better support not only these, but all, administrators. We have faith that if a similar situation presented itself today things would be addressed very differently both by individuals and our systems.”
It is an imperfect situation. But given the mistakes of the past, demonstrable growth and transparency are essential for the safety of all students.
