Steve Paras has resigned from his vice-principal post at Surrey’s Regent Christian Academy.

The move, announced Thursday, follows word earlier this week that the BC College of Teachers handed Paras a four-month suspension from teaching following a lengthy investigation into allegations of professional misconduct.

The penalty relates to occurrences during Paras’ tenure as principal at White Rock Christian Academy, incidents the college found constituted “emotional, physical, and intellectual abuse.”

Tuesday, Regent principal Paul Johnson voiced support for Paras, saying he would be welcomed back to the school in January.

Thursday afternoon, he said he was saddened to learn Paras had tendered his resignation. He didn’t know if the decision had anything to do with the attention news of Paras’ suspension garnered.

“All I can say is the community was very supportive of him, the RCA community. He was a strong mentor and teacher,” Johnson said. “He had a very difficult situation when he was the principal at WRCA, and that’s up to him to comment on that.

“I’m heavy-hearted, definitely, but it’s something where the community will move forward, and we’re honouring his decision to do that.”

The Peace Arch News could not reach Paras for comment.

According to a discipline case summary, Paras admitted he, during the 2002-’03 school year, “failed to report his knowledge of a sexual assault of a 13-year-old female student by an adult male to either the Ministry of Children and Family Development or the police. In addition, he suspended her as a form of discipline and detained and isolated the student in a confined space for an inappropriate period of time during the initial investigation.”

The mother of the victim said she was “thrilled” with the latest development.

“It’s a good thing,” she said Thursday. “I think it’s the best thing that he steps down from teaching.”

The college reports other incidents included inappropriate comments, violating students’ privacy and issuing an improper assignment to students concerning circumcision.

Paras resigned from WRCA in May 2005, after seven years at the helm of the K-12 independent school and 18 years there as a teacher.