Warning: Graphic content A man with a decades-long history of sexual violence against adolescents and pre-pubescent girls worked at a B.C. post-secondary school for years despite being deemed a high-risk to reoffend. John Walter Sam, now 61, has convictions dating all the way back to 1982. In 2002 in Whitehorse, he pleaded guilty to touching a person under 14 for a sexual purpose. The victim in that case was a 10-year-old girl, and at the time one of Sam’s parole conditions was that he have no contact with anyone under the age of 18. He’s also been convicted of rape and sexual assault with a weapon, both against minor victims. In one case, he held a knife to a teen’s throat during the crime. The judge in the 2002 case declared Sam a long-term offender, meaning he was subject to a 10-year mandatory supervision period even after the completion of his sentence. “He is a sexual predator who victimizes vulnerable children,” wrote Heino Lilles, then chief justice of the Yukon Territorial Court, in his reasons for sentencing. Hired by VCC to work with students and staff In February of 2020, Vancouver Community College announced its hiring of Sam as an elder-in-residence. He continued in that role for years until colleagues say the school suddenly let him go without explanation. Some VCC staff members approached CTV News with concerns over how the situation was handled. CTV News has agreed not to identify the staff over concerns about their employment at the school. “No meeting. No explanation. No anything except he’s gone,” one VCC employee said. That’s when curious colleagues turned to online searches—and very quickly and easily discovered Sam’s extensive history of sexual violence. “The main disgust and absolute sick feeling I had was because this person was able to meet privately with students. In particular, young women. That was part of the role they were hired to do,” said a staff member. Sam tells CTV News his crimes are ‘in the past’ CTV News reached Sam by phone with questions about his criminal history and time working at VCC. “There’s really not much to say. People already have their judgements towards me already. My history is in the past,” he said. The most recent Parole Board of Canada hearing for Sam was in August of 2015. “Actuarial measurements assess you as a moderate-high risk for general sexual reoffending and a high-risk to reoffend sexually against prepubescent and adolescent females,” the decision document said. Leading workshops for teens in Burnaby Sam’s long-term supervision order expired in April of 2017, and a year later he began leading drum workshops for teens as part of a program with the Burnaby School District. The district says Sam was never alone with students. “For the protection of students, guest presenters in the Burnaby School District must always be under direct supervision of staff or they are otherwise required to have a criminal record check,” the district said in a statement. Eventually dismissed and paid out by VCC It’s not clear what vetting process school administrators in Burnaby and at VCC used before hiring Sam. He told CTV News both organizations had initiated contact with him. Sam said after working there for years, his employment at VCC ended suddenly. “They just let me go and they didn’t give me no reason or anything like that,” Sam said. “And I told them, ‘OK, but I signed the contract already for next year.’” He said he was compensated by the school for the termination—but didn’t reveal how much money he received when he was dismissed. VCC response to questions about Sam’s employment The VCC community members who spoke out say they did so because they are seeking accountability and assurances that steps have been taken to prevent violent criminals from getting jobs at the school in the future. “Number 1, what is their process or protocol for hiring an elder? Number 2, what kind of guidelines do they have for criminal record checks?” one staff member said. CTV News reached out to VCC with a number of questions about how Sam was vetted before being hired, and whether any changes have been made to the hiring process. School officials responded with a brief 11-word emailed statement that did not address the questions in any substantive way. “This contractor is no longer doing any contract delivery for VCC,” the college said. One of the people who spoke to CTV News about their concerns believes the college has an obligation to be transparent about what happened to make sure Sam doesn’t simply seek similar employment elsewhere. “I just want to make sure the public is aware, and that these institutions are aware, that they have a responsibility to protect women and girls, children, and people in this society,” they said. If you or someone you know is struggling with sexual assault or trauma, the following resources are available to support people in crisis:
