Aleksandr Plehanov's teaching career remains in limbo pending further review by the new Teacher Regulation Branch, according to a Ministry of Education spokesman.
Scott Sutherland said Plehanov's acquittal Monday by a provincial court judge does not mean automatic reinstatement of his teaching certificate and the Coquitlam substitute teacher would have to face a public hearing before any decision was made.
"The fact that he's been acquitted in the provincial court doesn't mean he automatically gets his teaching certificate back. There's still a regulatory process he needs to go through before his suspension would be overturned," Sutherland said.
In May, 2010, the former BC College of Teachers suspended Plehanov's certificate, pending the outcome of a hearing, and the hearing must still take place before any future reconsideration of his credentials.
It's not known, however, when or even if this hearing will take place and Sutherland said Plehanov may choose not to proceed.
"I think it will be incumbent upon him to say, I'm willing to go through this hearing process and have my certificate reinstated. I think that's a question for him...to see whether he's going make any application. If that process does go ahead that will go up immediately [on the website]," where a hearing date would be posted.
The new Teacher Regulation Branch was established after concerns that the former college lacked credibility. A review by lawyer Don Avison, a former senior public servant, was made at the request of the college board and two weeks ago a former B.C. Supreme Court Judge, Bruce Preston, was appointed commissioner for teacher regulation.
