Late-night messages, coffee invites land BC teacher a suspension

A BC teacher was handed a suspension after sending inappropriate messages to recent graduates, often late at night and at least once with a sexual innuendo.

A consent resolution agreement between Darren Richard Brown and the BC teacher regulator was published online on Tuesday.

According to the agreement, the messaging happened while Brown was employed as a high school teacher at an independent school in 2022.

Brown reportedly sent inappropriate messages on social media to a student who had recently graduated.

The regulator said Brown initiated the contact, which involved a happy birthday message to the student who had recently turned 18.

Over the next year, Brown sent messages to the student, sometimes late at night in which he told the student they were his “favourite,” a ‘kind soul,” and warmed his heart.

He then offered to take the student out for coffee or an “adult beverage.”

Eventually, the student reported feeling uncomfortable and stopped responding, however, Brown continued sending messages.

Brown used social media to send messages to other recent graduates, asking how they were and saying that he missed them, the regulator wrote.

One student tried to give him advice about the way it looked to be messaging former students late at night.

“Brown also messaged another Student B, who had graduated from the School,” the regulator wrote.

“Brown asked about what Student B was doing, complimented Student B and sent a message which contained a sexual innuendo. Brown says that he intended to send this message to another person.”

On June 14, 2022, he resigned from the school. By November, an investigation was launched.

On July 24, 2025, Brown entered into the consent resolution agreement with the BC Commissioner for Teacher Regulation.

The Commissioner issued Brown a two week suspension and ordered him to finish a course on professional boundaries.

The regulator said Brown’s conduct was a breach of his "privileged position” of power and trust and demonstrated a pattern of boundary violations. The agreement said his conduct undermines public confidence in the educational system.