A Nanaimo-Ladysmith high school teacher has not contested allegations of wrongdoing after his teaching certificate was canceled for sending “sexually explicit photos” to students.
The British Columbia Commissioner for Teaching Regulation released their findings concerning incidents that transpired while Curtis Vizza was employed by School District 68 where he taught physical education.
According to the report, students in Vizza’s classroom thought of him as a friend and confided several personal matters to him to whom he would offer advice.
“Many of the female students would come to Vizza’s classroom in an emotional state, some in tears. Some of these students came to view him as a friend,” the report says.
Although students viewed him as a friend the report indicates Vizza took his role a bit too far with Student A in Dec of 2020.
The report says both Vizza and the student connected over Snapchat and began exchanging explicit messages back and forth.
“Messages grew increasingly sexualized, which included Vizza sending sexually explicit photos of himself to Student A,” the report says. “After that evening Vizza and Student A exchanged further messages which included a vulgar sexualized message, set by Vizza, as well as a photograph of his backside and shirtless photo.”
The district started an investigation and notified Vizza on June 1, 2021, of the investigation and not to discuss the matter with anyone other than his union representative.
Vizza was terminated from his role on Nov. 19 of that year and the commissioner’s report indicates he is prohibited from applying for a teaching certificate for five years because of his lack of professionalism, and violation of professional boundaries.
