Imprisoned teacher now faces misconduct hearing
A former Estevan teacher who was sent to prison for sex offences now faces a regulatory hearing to determine if he can keep his licence.
The Saskatchewan Professional Teachers Regulatory Board recently issued a notice of hearing for Troy Ruzicka. Set for Feb. 14, the hearing is on seven allegations of professional misconduct, mirroring his criminal charges.
Ruzicka, 42, was sentenced in November to five years in prison after pleading guilty to seven criminal charges, including two of sexual assault, three of luring and one count each of sexual exploitation and accessing child pornography. There were three victims.
As early as March 2014, Ruzicka created a Facebook account, posing as a female, Minot-based restaurant employee named Nikki Stettler. He used it for sexually charged online exchanges with female students at his school, Estevan Comprehensive. Nikki claimed to know Ruzicka, and encouraged the students to contact him.
The investigation determined Ruzicka asked for and received sexually explicit photos of one girl, which he then posted inside a secret Facebook group.
A second complainant, who met Ruzicka through Nikki, became involved in a sexual relationship with him. A third girl reported Ruzicka grabbed her breasts and put his hands down the front of her pants. He later requested nude photos of her, which she sent, and he sent some of himself.
The notice outlines professional misconduct allegations occurring between March 2014 and February 2017, including sexual exploitation while in a position of trust, sexual assault, communicating with young persons to facilitate offences, and accessing child pornography.
If found guilty, penalties can range from cancellation of a teaching certificate to a reprimand.