Newmarket High School hires teacher facing child pornography charges in BC

A teacher was hired at Newmarket High School this year while facing child pornography charges brought forward in 2022 while working as a substitute teacher in Nanaimo, BC.

Darrell Christopher Gilkes, 31, was charged by the Royal Canadian Mounted Police with possession and distribution/importation of child pornography on December 4, 2022, according to British Columbia Court Services Records. The BC District Attorney’s Office agreed to pursue charges and issued a warrant for his arrest on May 13, 2024.

Gilkes is confirmed to have taught at Newmarket High School for the 2023-24 calendar year.

“The staff member is not at the school pending the outcome of the investigation,” said Christina Choo-Hum, corporate communications manager for the York Region District School Board.

The charges against Gilkes stem from a police raid on his home, where investigators seized several devices. The BC Ministry of Education and Child Care says Gilkes accepted an undertaking not to practice teaching in BC while the investigation was ongoing.

Gilkes, however, holds teaching licenses in BC and Ontario. A judge in Nanaimo last July granted him permission to move to Newmarket to live with his parents.

“While there is no reason to believe at this time that the allegations involve any students at the school, we know the allegations are concerning to the students and their families and the school community,” Choo-Hum said. “At this time our focus is on establishing support for students and staff, including support through our social work and psychology teams. We continue to cooperate and support the police investigation.”

York Regional Police said they would not confirm whether they were acting on the warrant.

When asked how Gilkes was hired as a teacher in Newmarket despite allegations of child pornography on his record, the Ontario College of Teachers said it would not comment on any investigation or confirm whether an investigation might be underway.

However, it stated that applicants are required to provide criminal record checks when applying for membership. Gilkes applied to teach in Ontario almost a decade ago and received his license on July 29, 2016.

“Mr. Gilkes’ certification was completed in 2016, well before the criminal charges,” said Gabrielle Barkany, senior bilingual communications officer for the college.

He still held a license to teach in Ontario despite the BC police investigation and before the BC Prosecution Service approved the charges and issued the arrest warrant this month.

“As part of an investigation involving a member who is the subject of a criminal investigation, the college will seek and obtain information from the relevant police service,” Barkany said. “The member remains a member of the college until either he resigns his membership or there is a college proceeding leading to the revocation of the certificate of qualification and registration.”

The college suggested contacting your school board as employers of Ontario certified teachers to learn about employment checks.

The school board said successful applicants and volunteers must provide a satisfactory police background check.

“Following this initial screening, all staff members are required to certify annually that they have no convictions under the Criminal Code of Canada,” Choo-Hum said. “Staff are also required to notify the board within 48 hours of any occasion on which they are the subject of a criminal or Children’s Aid Societies investigation or if criminal charges have been brought against them.”

After the district attorney approved the charges, the school board removed him from the classroom.

“Immediate steps were taken to remove them from the classroom pending an investigation,” Choo-Hum said. “If we receive information from any police services, we would share that information with the families.”