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Teacher disciplined after bringing 45 grams of cannabis to Surrey school

Eugenio Bahamonde was also charged with trafficking in Vancouver, but later acquitted
18199652_web1_cannabis-plant-1-unsplash
(Photo: Unsplash)

A teacher has been disciplined after bringing more than 45 grams of pot to a Surrey high school in 2012.

Eugenio Alfonso Bahamonde was an on-call teacher in Surrey at the time, but British Columbia Commissioner for Teacher Regulation (BCCTR) documents don’t state which schools he taught at or which school he brought drugs to.

In disciplinary documents from BCCTR, Bahamonde admits his conduct was “unbecoming” and contrary to teacher standards. He agreed to a one-month suspension of his teaching certificate, from Sept. 3 to Oct. 2, 2019.

This comes after the Surrey school district terminated him in June, 2018, following his suspension on Dec. 11, 2012.

According to Commisioner Howard Kushner’s decision, Bahamonde left 45.6 grams of cannabis in his BMW on Nov. 7, 2012, which was parked on school property. The drugs were stored in a gym bag in his vehicle, along with $1,440 of cash bundled with an elastic band, a scale, rolling papers, and a package of zip-loc bags.

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After school that day, police officers in Vancouver noticed he was parked near an elementary school in that city, near the intersection of School Avenue and Kerr Street. Police saw a man get into his car, then exit a few minutes later, and Bahamonde left, the documents state.

“Shortly after, he was pulled over by police on East Broadway and his car was searched,” the documents note. “Bahamonde was arrested and later charged with possession or marijuana and possession of marijuana for the purposes of trafficking.”

Then, in 2015, he was acquitted of criminal charges after a judge ruled his arrest was unlawful and the evidence seized from his vehicle was not admissible.

The BCCTR decision notes Bahamonde admits he was unlawfully in possession of cannabis, but he claims he was using it for medicinal purposes despite not having a medical license.

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This past June, the BCCTR decided to propose a consent resolution agreement to Bahamonde which is where the one-month suspension was agreed upon.

In his decision, Kushner noted Bahamonde “knew at the time when he possessed marijuana that his conduct was unlawful” and that “his conduct undermines the public’s confidence in the integrity of the teaching profession.”

Bahamonde has agreed not to make any statements that dispute the facts outlined in the decision.



amy.reid@surreynowleader.com

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