Diane Ballantyne

The Ontario College of Teachers brought a discipline proceeding against a member following three consecutive unsatisfactory Teacher Performance Appraisals (TPAs).

The Discipline Committee found that the member failed to maintain the standards of the profession, failed to comply with the Education Act, and engaged in dishonourable and unprofessional conduct.

The member consistently failed to provide appropriate lesson plans, differentiate instruction, manage classroom behaviour, and accurately assess students.

The Committee also found the member to be incompetent, as her ongoing lack of knowledge, skill, and judgment demonstrated she was unfit to continue carrying out her professional responsibilities.

The Member, a former Director of Education, was found guilty of professional misconduct for engaging in repeated plagiarism over a 10-year period in various publications, speeches, and blog posts.

At the penalty hearing, the College sought revocation of the Member's certificate, while the Member expressed remorse and noted his completion of an ethics course.

The Discipline Committee ordered a 24-month suspension, finding that revocation was not necessary given the Member's remorse and steps toward rehabilitation.

The Committee also imposed a maximum fine of $5,000 to denounce the conduct and deter others, and ordered the Member to pay $10,000 in costs due to his failure to cooperate fully during the hearing process.

The Member brought a motion to adjourn her discipline hearing until it could be held in person rather than electronically.

The College consented to the adjournment but requested conditions restricting the Member's ability to teach during the delay.

The Discipline Committee granted the adjournment and imposed the requested conditions, finding that the indefinite delay increased the risk to the public of the Member continuing to teach while allegations of incompetence remained unresolved.

The Committee also set a schedule for the remainder of the hearing to prevent further undue delay.

The Member, a former Director of Education, faced allegations of professional misconduct for plagiarizing material in opinion pieces, speeches, blog posts, and books published between 2002 and 2013.

The Member pled guilty to the allegations but sought to provide context, claiming he received writing assistance due to his busy schedule.

The Discipline Committee found the Member's evidence unpersuasive and concluded that he engaged in professional misconduct.

The Committee held that plagiarism is notorious conduct that does not require expert evidence to establish a breach of professional standards.

The Member was found to have failed to maintain the standards of the profession, issued false or misleading documents, failed to comply with the Education Act, and engaged in disgraceful, dishonourable, unprofessional, and unbecoming conduct.

The Ontario College of Teachers brought professional misconduct allegations against the Member for purchasing and consuming alcohol and marijuana with two underage former students at their home without parental knowledge.

The Member pleaded guilty to the allegations.

The Discipline Committee found the Member guilty of professional misconduct, including disgraceful, dishonourable, and unprofessional conduct.

The parties presented an amended joint submission on penalty after the Committee expressed concerns that the initial proposal of a three-month suspension was inadequate.

Applying the public interest test, the Committee accepted the amended joint submission, ordering a reprimand, an eight-month suspension, and the completion of coursework on professional boundaries.

The member brought a motion to indefinitely adjourn his discipline hearing, citing the passing of his ex-wife 15 months prior.

The College consented to adjourning the immediate hearing date but opposed an indefinite adjournment.

The Discipline Committee denied the request for an indefinite adjournment, noting the lack of sufficient reasons for further delay, the fact that two previous adjournments had already been granted, and the public interest in concluding a matter involving conduct that occurred 8 to 19 years ago.

The hearing was adjourned to a previously scheduled continuation date.

The Ontario College of Teachers brought disciplinary proceedings against a member who, while on paid sick leave from his school board, purchased an ownership interest in a restaurant and worked there.

The member did not inform the board of his activities and failed to attend investigative meetings.

The member pled guilty to professional misconduct.

The Discipline Committee accepted a joint submission on penalty, ordering a reprimand, a two-month suspension of his teaching certificate, and the completion of a professional ethics course.

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

The Member did not attend the hearing.

The Discipline Committee found that the Member engaged in professional misconduct.

The Committee ordered that the Member be reprimanded, that his Certificate of Qualification and Registration be immediately revoked, and that he pay $10,000 in costs to the College.

Written reasons were to follow.

The Discipline Committee of the Ontario College of Teachers found the member engaged in professional misconduct by failing to maintain appropriate professional boundaries with students.

Following a joint submission on penalty, the Committee ordered that the member receive a reprimand, complete a pre-approved course on professional boundaries, and serve a one-month suspension of his Certificate of Qualification and Registration.

The Ontario College of Teachers brought disciplinary proceedings against a teacher who arrived at school under the influence of alcohol and organized an unauthorized extra-curricular activity while on medical leave.

The member did not attend the hearing.

The Discipline Committee found that the member committed professional misconduct by failing to maintain the standards of the profession, failing to comply with the Education Act, and engaging in conduct unbecoming a member.

Allegations of psychological abuse and failure to supervise were dismissed due to insufficient evidence.

The Committee ordered a reprimand, completion of a professional ethics course, and a medical assessment confirming fitness to teach before the member could return to the classroom.

Costs of $5,000 were awarded to the College.

The Member, a high school teacher, faced allegations of professional misconduct for drinking alcohol with underage students, providing alcohol to a student, and inappropriately touching and attempting to kiss a student.

The Member pleaded no contest to the allegations and agreed to a statement of uncontested facts.

The Discipline Committee found the Member guilty of professional misconduct, including sexual abuse of a student.

Pursuant to the mandatory penalty provisions of the Ontario College of Teachers Act, the Committee ordered the immediate revocation of the Member's teaching certificate and directed that he receive a reprimand.

The Ontario College of Teachers brought disciplinary proceedings against a member who misused sick leave benefits.

The member's request for an unpaid leave to attend a promotional trip in Costa Rica was denied by the school board.

In response, the member swore at staff, stated his intention to go anyway, and subsequently claimed the days as personal illness.

He later received sick leave benefits for several months while continuing to participate in promotional business activities.

The member pled guilty to professional misconduct.

The Discipline Committee accepted a joint submission on penalty, ordering a reprimand and the successful completion of a professional ethics course.

The Member, a teacher, was found guilty of professional misconduct for sexually abusing two students.

The Member had previously been convicted criminally of sexual exploitation and sexual assault regarding the same students.

Proceeding on an uncontested statement of facts and a plea of no contest, the Discipline Committee found the Member guilty of professional misconduct, including sexual abuse of a student.

Pursuant to the mandatory revocation provisions of the Ontario College of Teachers Act, the Committee ordered that the Member be reprimanded and that his certificate of qualification and registration be immediately revoked.

The Discipline Committee of the Ontario College of Teachers held an electronic hearing regarding allegations of professional misconduct against the member.

The parties submitted an Agreed Statement of Facts and Guilty Plea.

The panel found that the member engaged in acts of professional misconduct as alleged, contrary to subsections 1(14), 1(15), 1(18), and 1(19) of Ontario Regulation 437/97.

The matter was adjourned for submissions on penalty, with written reasons to follow.

The Discipline Committee of the Ontario College of Teachers held an electronic hearing regarding allegations of professional misconduct against the Member, who did not attend.

The Committee found that the Member engaged in professional misconduct and ordered a reprimand, terms and conditions on her certificate including a professional ethics course and a medical assessment, and $5,000 in costs.

Written reasons were to follow.

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

Following a Statement of Uncontested Facts and a Plea of No Contest, the Discipline Committee found that the member engaged in acts of professional misconduct.

The Committee expressed concerns regarding the parties' Joint Submission on Penalty and requested additional written submissions before rendering a penalty decision.

The Member, a teacher, pled guilty to professional misconduct for engaging in inappropriate electronic communications of a sexual nature with a student on a dating application.

The Discipline Committee accepted the Agreed Statement of Facts and Guilty Plea, finding the Member guilty of professional misconduct, including sexual abuse of a student.

Pursuant to the mandatory penalty provisions of the Ontario College of Teachers Act, 1996, the Committee ordered that the Member be reprimanded and directed the immediate revocation of his certificate of qualification and registration.

The Ontario College of Teachers brought a discipline proceeding against the Member.

The Member did not attend the hearing.

The Discipline Committee found that the Member engaged in acts of professional misconduct.

The Committee ordered that the Member be reprimanded, that his Certificate of Qualification and Registration be immediately revoked, and that he pay $5,000 in costs to the College.

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

The member did not attend the hearing.

The Discipline Committee found that the member engaged in acts of professional misconduct contrary to Ontario Regulation 437/97.

The Committee ordered that the member be reprimanded in writing and directed the Registrar to immediately revoke the member's Certificate of Qualification and Registration.

The member was also ordered to pay $5,000 in costs to the College.

The Ontario College of Teachers brought a discipline proceeding against a member who had pleaded guilty to multiple criminal charges of gross indecency and sexual assault involving former students.

The member admitted to the allegations of professional misconduct.

The Discipline Committee accepted the agreed statement of facts and found the member guilty of professional misconduct for failing to uphold the ethical standards of the profession, failing to concern himself with the welfare of pupils, and contravening laws relevant to his suitability to teach.

Accepting a joint submission on penalty, the Committee ordered a reprimand and the immediate revocation of the member's Certificate of Qualification and Registration.