A Vancouver ex-band instructor has received a lifetime ban from teaching following his admission of guilt to sexually assaulting a student. Robert Kyle Ledingham is permanently barred from reapplying for a teaching license in British Columbia after confessing to one count of sexual assault in May 2024, as stated in a consent arrangement by the B.C. Commissioner for Teacher Regulation. Ledingham, who had been a certified educator since May 2008, faced initial accusations of two counts of sexual exploitation and one count of sexual assault in September 2020.

The accusations involved a student who had volunteered at a high school in the Vancouver School District where Ledingham conducted the high school band program between April and June 2019. The student’s identity is protected by a court-ordered publication ban and attended a different high school from Ledingham’s teaching location.

In his confession, the band teacher pleaded guilty to one sexual assault charge in May 2024, resulting in the dismissal of the other charges. He was sentenced to a 15-month conditional sentence, with one condition being a prohibition from seeking employment in roles involving authority over individuals under 18 years old. The Vancouver School District terminated Ledingham’s employment in November 2024 following these events.

Acknowledging the professional misconduct in the case, the former band teacher accepted a lifetime ban on applying for a teaching certificate as outlined in the consent agreement.