A former First Nations independent school principal found liable for taking school funds has had his teaching certificate cancelled.
B.C. Commissioner for School Regulation Ana Mohammed said in a decision released Sept. 12 that Kelly Joseph Rambeau had taken between $286,287 and $337,133 from the school between 2015 and 2018.
“Rambeau’s conduct had the potential to undermine the reputation of the profession, including in relation to truth, reconciliation and healing,” Mohammed said.
The decision does not say where in B.C. the school is located.
Research indicates the school is the Coast Tsimshian Academy in Lax Kw'alaams (Port Simpson), north of Prince Rupert.
Auditors noticed irregularities in the school’s petty cash and travel expense claims in 2018.
The decision said Rambeau regularly submitted credit card statements for payment in his and another name. He claimed he had hired that person to do administrative work.
In other cases, he had issued himself reimbursement cheques for expenses already reimbursed.
In late 2018, the school filed suit against Rambeau. He ultimately agreed to acknowledge his conduct, apologize and pay $175,000.
“I was careless with the school finances and benefited from those reimbursements for personal expenses I was no entitled to,” he told the court.
