Darlene Mead

The member, a teacher, pleaded guilty to criminal charges of possessing child pornography and was sentenced to nine months in prison.

The Ontario College of Teachers brought a discipline proceeding against the member for professional misconduct.

The Discipline Committee found the member guilty of professional misconduct, noting that possession of child pornography is a serious crime that victimizes children and puts students at risk.

The Committee ordered the revocation of the member's certificate of qualification and registration, and directed that the decision be published.

The Ontario College of Teachers alleged that the Member committed professional misconduct by physically and verbally abusing students in her Grade 7/8 class.

The allegations included hitting a student with test papers, throwing a sandwich at a student, and making inappropriate comments.

After hearing testimony from students, the vice-principal, and the Member, the Discipline Committee found the evidence insufficient to prove the allegations on a balance of probabilities.

The Committee noted inconsistencies in the students' testimony and concluded that any physical contact was likely accidental rather than intentional abuse.

The allegations were dismissed.

The Ontario College of Teachers brought allegations of professional misconduct against a member for making inappropriate comments and employing physical discipline with students.

The member pleaded no contest to the allegations, admitting to verbal and physical abuse, and unprofessional conduct.

The Discipline Committee found the member guilty of professional misconduct.

The Committee ordered a reprimand, required the member to complete a course in classroom management with an emphasis on positive discipline strategies, and directed publication of the decision without the member's name.

The Ontario College of Teachers brought a motion seeking leave to withdraw allegations of professional misconduct against the member.

College counsel determined there was no evidence to support the allegations and no prospect of a finding of professional misconduct.

The member's counsel consented.

The Discipline Committee granted the motion, finding the withdrawal reasonable, appropriate, and in the public interest.

The Ontario College of Teachers brought a motion seeking leave to withdraw allegations of professional misconduct against the Member.

College counsel advised that due to evidentiary challenges and the difficulty of proving the case through the key witness, there was no prospect of a finding of professional misconduct.

The Member's counsel consented.

The Discipline Committee granted the motion, finding the withdrawal reasonable, appropriate, and in the public interest.

Counsel for the Ontario College of Teachers brought a motion seeking leave to withdraw the allegations of professional misconduct against the Member, as there was no reasonable prospect of a finding of professional misconduct.

The Member's counsel consented.

The Discipline Committee granted the motion, finding the withdrawal reasonable, appropriate, and in the public interest.

The Ontario College of Teachers brought a motion seeking leave to withdraw the allegations of professional misconduct against the member.

The College advised that a finding of professional misconduct was unlikely if the matter proceeded to a hearing.

The member consented to the motion.

The Discipline Committee granted the motion, finding that the withdrawal of the allegations served the public interest.

The Member, an elementary school teacher, pleaded no contest to allegations of professional misconduct relating to boundary violations with two female students.

The Member developed a close friendship with the students and their families, gave them gifts, became overly protective, and made inappropriate personal comments.

The Discipline Committee found the Member guilty of unprofessional conduct and conduct unbecoming a Member.

The Committee ordered a reprimand to be recorded on the Register and publication of the findings in summary form without the Member's name, noting the misconduct was at the low end of the scale and the Member had already completed mandatory counselling and a boundary course.

The Ontario College of Teachers brought a motion seeking leave to withdraw allegations of professional misconduct against the member.

The College advised that the particulars leading to the allegations had been addressed by another Committee of the College, resulting in terms, conditions, and limitations on the member's certificate.

The Discipline Committee granted the motion and authorized the withdrawal of the allegations, finding it was not in the public interest to proceed to discipline.

The Ontario College of Teachers brought a discipline proceeding against the respondent for professional misconduct, alleging he sexually harassed a first-year probationary teacher.

The respondent failed to attend the resumption of the hearing after an initial adjournment.

The Discipline Committee found that the respondent used his senior position to pursue an unwanted relationship with the probationary teacher, including forcing a kiss and repeatedly disrupting her classroom.

The Committee found the respondent guilty of professional misconduct, ordered a reprimand, suspended his teaching certificate for three months, and directed publication of the decision.

The Ontario College of Teachers brought a motion seeking leave to withdraw allegations of professional misconduct against the member.

The member consented to the withdrawal.

The College advised that the students and witnesses involved in the alleged incident were unwilling to testify and would not cooperate, and there were conflicting reports about whether the incident occurred.

Concluding that it could not meet its burden of proof, the College sought to withdraw the allegations.

The Discipline Committee granted the motion and authorized the withdrawal of the allegations.

The Member, a teacher, pleaded no contest to professional misconduct after breaking into a colleague's garage, stealing a school generator, and selling it online.

The Member was criminally convicted of break and enter.

The Discipline Committee accepted an agreed statement of facts and a joint submission on penalty, finding the Member guilty of professional misconduct.

The Committee ordered a reprimand, an 8-month suspension of the Member's certificate, and publication of the decision without the Member's name, noting the Member's extreme financial duress and subsequent restitution as mitigating factors.

The Ontario College of Teachers brought a motion seeking leave to withdraw allegations of professional misconduct and incompetence against the member.

The allegations were based on three unsatisfactory Teacher Performance Appraisals.

Since the filing of the allegations, the member completed a course and received a satisfactory appraisal.

The Discipline Committee granted the motion on consent, finding the withdrawal reasonable and in the public interest.

The Member, a teacher, faced allegations of professional misconduct for engaging in extensive inappropriate personal communications with a student over two years, including terms of endearment and expressions of love.

The Member also failed to report the student's allegation of sexual touching by the Member's husband.

The Member pleaded no contest to the allegations.

The Discipline Committee found the Member guilty of professional misconduct for failing to maintain professional boundaries, abusing a student emotionally, and engaging in unprofessional conduct.

The Committee ordered a reprimand, a three-month suspension (with one month postponed upon completion of an ethics course), and publication of the decision with the Member's name.

The Member, a teacher, pleaded no contest to allegations of professional misconduct for failing to report a student's disclosure of sexual touching by a colleague's husband.

The Discipline Committee accepted the joint submission on penalty, finding the Member guilty of professional misconduct.

The Committee ordered a reprimand, completion of a professional ethics course, and publication of the decision including the Member's name, emphasizing the egregious nature of failing to report suspected child abuse.

The College of Teachers filed a motion requesting permission to withdraw the allegations of professional misconduct against the member, Gregory Aubrey Carrega, as set out in the notice of hearing dated November 14, 2008.

The member was not present.

Upon considering the submissions of counsel for the College and counsel for the member, and on consent of the parties, the Discipline Committee granted the motion and allowed the College to withdraw the allegations.

The Ontario College of Teachers brought a motion seeking leave to withdraw the allegations of professional misconduct against the member set out in the Notice of Hearing.

With the consent of the parties, the Discipline Committee granted the motion and authorized the withdrawal of the allegations.

The Member, an occasional teacher, faced allegations of professional misconduct for inappropriately touching the buttocks of several female colleagues over a twelve-year period.

The Member did not attend the hearing but entered into a Memorandum of Agreement admitting to the conduct and pleading guilty to professional misconduct.

The Discipline Committee accepted the guilty plea, finding the Member breached standards of the profession by engaging in unprofessional and unbecoming conduct.

The Member having already resigned and retired, the Committee ordered the publication of a summary of the decision without the Member's name, and noted conditions for any future re-application for membership.

The Member, an elementary school teacher, pleaded no contest to professional misconduct after placing his hands on a student's shoulders and making punching motions in an effort to discuss bullying.

The Discipline Committee of the Ontario College of Teachers accepted the agreed statement of facts and found the Member guilty of conduct unbecoming a member.

The Committee ordered the Member to be counselled, complete a course on disciplinary techniques, and directed publication of the decision without the Member's name.