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Surrey teacher disciplined over questionable photo of student

Took picture of girl with a low-cut top licking a lollipop and printed it on a mug for her.
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A Surrey high school teacher who took a photo of a 14-year-old student with a lollipop in her mouth is among the latest educators to be disciplined by the B.C. Teacher Regulation Branch.

Timothy Trylinski admitted to professional misconduct in September and was suspended for five days in connection to the incident, which took place in the spring of 2011.

According to a Consent Resolution Agreement posted on the regulation branch's website last week, Trylinski was teaching a Grade 9 social studies class where a girl had a large, colourful lollipop. During class, he suggested someone should take a picture of her, because it would be "cute."

After class, he took a photograph of the girl himself outside the classroom with his phone camera, showing the student with the lollipop in her mouth, wearing a "low-cut and somewhat revealing" top, according to a discipline summary.

At the end of the school year, Trylinski asked the student to come see him at school because he had something for her. She went there, but he wasn't there, so she went to see him on the first day of the new school year in September 2011.

Trylinski gave her a mug with the photograph on it, saying she should show it to her mother. Her parents, however, were not pleased.

Trylinski was in the news six years ago when he launched a human rights complaint against the Surrey School District. The case, which was settled before it went to hearing, arose after Trylinski claimed he was discriminated against due to a mental disability.

He said that in 2005, he had returned to work after a disability-related leave, and confided to his principals at the time that he was on medication but fully capable of teaching. Shortly after, Trylinski said he was taken out of class, detained, and searched by a police officer. He was told students had reported that he had a knife, which was never found.

He is among a list of eight teachers recently disciplined from various school districts, including North Vancouver's Victor Wiens, who is currently serving a one-year jail sentence for sexually exploiting a 14-year-old.

The full list can be found at bcteachingregulation.ca under the Professional Conduct tab.