The superintendent of a Christian school in Kelowna has been fired and had his teaching license suspended for misappropriating tens of thousands of dollars.
According to the Teacher Regulation Branch (TRB), Gregory Bitgood spent more than $28,000 on personal expenses and wrote them off as business trips, gifts for staff, and curriculum and consulting.
In a resolution from the TRB, Bitgood admitted the misappropriations took place over a period from 2012 to 2016, when he was working as superintendent of the Kelowna Heritage Christian School.
The funds were taken from Kelowna Christian Centre Society (KCCS), an organization that dedicates money towards the Heritage Christian School.
In a statement, the KCCS said Bitgood was fired in September of 2016, shortly after it became aware of his activities.
It said the amount of money taken represents less than three per cent of the school’s annual non-government revenues.
It also stated that Bitgood has begun repaying the funds.
In addition to losing his job with the KCCS, Bitgood has been handed a three month suspension of his teaching license from the TRB.
Bitgood has yet to respond to CKNW’s request for comment.
However in a Facebook post dated July 1, about two weeks before the discipline resolution, he posted to Facebook, “Because of bad choices I have made, I am going back and reexamining everything again in my life. I am returning to my first love which is Jesus.”
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