Marlène Marwah

The Ontario College of Teachers brought a discipline proceeding against a member who took an extended leave of absence, claiming he was visiting his dying mother in Gabon and subsequently became too ill to return to Canada.

The College alleged that the member falsified medical records to receive sick leave benefits while actually participating in political activities and working for another organization in Gabon.

The Discipline Committee found that the member misrepresented his absences, falsified records, and received a salary from his Ontario employer while working abroad.

The Committee concluded that the member engaged in professional misconduct, including disgraceful, dishonourable, and unprofessional conduct.

The Discipline Committee of the Ontario College of Teachers held a penalty hearing for a member previously found to have engaged in professional misconduct.

The member failed to implement individualized education plans (IEPs), made inappropriate remarks to students, and was insubordinate to her principal.

The member did not attend the penalty hearing.

The Committee ordered a reprimand, an eight-month suspension of the member's Certificate of Qualification and Registration, and the successful completion of a course on classroom management, appropriate communication, and boundary violations before returning to teaching.

The Member requested an adjournment of her discipline hearing, citing pending complaints involving third parties and a recent hospitalization.

The College consented to the adjournment but requested conditions.

The Discipline Committee granted the adjournment subject to conditions, including that the Member confirm the language of the hearing, a new date be set within five months, the parties discuss the case, and the Member provide a detailed medical report if seeking a future adjournment on medical grounds.

The Member, a teacher, pleaded guilty to professional misconduct after being criminally convicted of voyeurism, making child pornography, and distributing child pornography.

The police found thousands of images and videos of child pornography on his devices, including surreptitious recordings of a student.

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

Pursuant to the mandatory provisions of the Ontario College of Teachers Act, the Committee ordered a written reprimand and the immediate revocation of the Member's certificate of qualification and registration.

The Discipline Committee held a penalty hearing for a teacher previously found guilty of professional misconduct, including failing to accommodate students with IEPs, inadequate supervision, inappropriate remarks, and insubordination.

The member did not attend the hearing.

The Committee ordered a written reprimand, an 8-month suspension of her certificate of qualification and registration, and the successful completion of a pre-approved course on classroom management and professional boundaries before returning to practice.

Written reasons were to follow.

The Ontario College of Teachers brought allegations of professional misconduct against a teacher for incidents occurring during the 2016-2017 academic year.

The allegations included failing to accommodate a student's Individual Education Plan, inadequately supervising students, making inappropriate and religiously-themed comments to students, and failing to assess student work or follow the approved curriculum.

The Discipline Committee found that the College proved the allegations on a balance of probabilities.

The Committee concluded that the teacher committed professional misconduct by failing to maintain the standards of the profession, verbally and psychologically abusing students, failing to supervise adequately, and engaging in disgraceful, dishonourable, and unprofessional conduct.

Le comité de discipline a tenu une audience sur la sanction après avoir conclu que l'enseignant avait commis une faute professionnelle en montrant des vidéos inappropriées, en faisant des commentaires inappropriés et en manquant à son devoir de surveillance.

Le comité a ordonné une réprimande, une suspension de trois mois de son certificat de qualification et d'inscription, et l'obligation de suivre un cours sur la gestion de classe avant de pouvoir accepter un nouveau poste.

Le comité a également ordonné à l'enseignant de payer des frais de 5 000 $ à l'Ordre, en tenant compte de son manque de coopération partiel et de sa capacité de payer.

The Member brought a second motion for an adjournment of his discipline hearing, citing medical issues and potential legal proceedings in Gabon.

The Discipline Committee first ruled that a document sent by a third party was protected by solicitor-client privilege and inadmissible.

Applying the factors under the Statutory Powers Procedure Act, the Committee denied the adjournment, finding the Member's last-minute medical evidence and lack of transparency unreliable, and noting the prejudice of further delay given the presence of witnesses ready to proceed.

The Ontario College of Teachers brought disciplinary proceedings against the Member, a special education teacher, alleging professional misconduct including verbal and physical abuse of students and unprofessional conduct towards colleagues.

The Member denied the allegations, arguing that her loud speaking volume was due to her cultural background and that the investigations were tainted by anti-Black racism.

The Discipline Committee found that the College proved the majority of the allegations on a balance of probabilities.

The Committee held that the Member yelled at colleagues in front of students, made disparaging remarks about students' disabilities, yelled at a student with special needs, and physically hit and taunted another student.

The Committee rejected the Member's claims of racial targeting, finding the investigations objective and the witnesses credible.

The Committee concluded that the Member's actions constituted professional misconduct, including failing to maintain the standards of the profession, verbal and physical abuse, and disgraceful, dishonourable, or unprofessional conduct.

The member, a teacher, faced allegations of professional misconduct for verbally, physically, and psychologically abusing students, including an incident where she pulled a student's chair, causing the student to fall.

The member pleaded no contest to the allegations and entered into an undertaking to resign from the College and never seek reinstatement.

The Discipline Committee found the member guilty of professional misconduct and, accepting a joint submission on penalty, ordered that the member be reprimanded.

The Ontario College of Teachers brought a discipline proceeding against the Member alleging professional misconduct and incompetence.

The Member received three consecutive unsatisfactory performance appraisals due to deficiencies in program planning, assessment, classroom management, and failure to accommodate students with learning needs.

The Member admitted to the facts and acknowledged incompetence.

The Discipline Committee accepted the joint submission, finding the Member incompetent and ordering terms, conditions, and limitations on his Certificate of Qualification and Registration, including mandatory coursework and performance appraisals upon return to teaching.

The Ontario College of Teachers brought a motion to withdraw allegations of professional misconduct against the Member, who was almost 80 years old and in frail health.

The Member had signed an Undertaking and Acknowledgement in which he resigned from the College, agreed never to apply for reinstatement, and agreed never to hold a position requiring a teaching certificate.

The Discipline Committee granted the motion, finding that the withdrawal of the allegations in light of the undertaking was reasonable, protected the public interest, and ensured transparency through a notation on the public register.

The Member, who was absent and unrepresented, requested an adjournment of his discipline hearing via email, citing medical issues and an alleged illegal detention in Gabon.

The College did not oppose an adjournment but requested specific conditions and an earlier date than the Member proposed.

The Discipline Committee granted the adjournment to October 7, 2022, finding that the Member's medical evidence warranted a delay.

The Committee imposed conditions requiring the Member to provide a detailed medical report 30 days prior to the new hearing date and written consent for the College to contact Global Affairs Canada regarding his alleged detention.

The Ontario College of Teachers alleged that a supply teacher committed professional misconduct during two separate assignments.

The allegations included showing inappropriate music videos to students, making inappropriate and demeaning comments, sending students outside in the rain as punishment, failing to follow lesson plans, and failing to adequately supervise students.

The Discipline Committee found that the member's conduct constituted professional misconduct, including verbal abuse, failure to supervise, and disgraceful or dishonourable conduct.

The Committee accepted hearsay evidence from students and qualified a human resources manager as a participant expert.

The Ontario College of Teachers brought a discipline proceeding against a member for professional misconduct relating to two incidents while acting as an occasional teacher.

The member was alleged to have shown inappropriate music videos to a Grade [XXX] class, made inappropriate comments to students, sent two students outside in the rain as a disciplinary measure, failed to follow a lesson plan, and failed to adequately supervise students.

The Discipline Committee found that the allegations were proven on a balance of probabilities.

The Committee concluded that the member's actions constituted professional misconduct, including verbal abuse, failure to supervise, and disgraceful, dishonourable, or unprofessional conduct.

A penalty hearing was to be scheduled at a later date.

The Ontario College of Teachers brought disciplinary proceedings against a member for professional misconduct.

The member pleaded no contest to allegations of verbal and psychological abuse, failing to comply with ethical standards, and engaging in disgraceful and unprofessional conduct.

The uncontested facts established that the member repeatedly used a racial slur in front of students and made disparaging remarks about their intelligence and clothing.

The Discipline Committee accepted a joint submission on penalty, finding it fell within a range of acceptable outcomes.

The member was reprimanded, her teaching certificate was suspended for two months, and she was ordered to complete a course on appropriate communication and cultural sensitivity.

The Member, a teacher, faced a discipline hearing for professional misconduct after refusing to use the preferred names and pronouns of two transgender students.

The Member also made inappropriate comments questioning their gender identity, distributed non-curricular materials reflecting his personal beliefs, and sent inappropriate emails to school administration.

The Member pled guilty via an Agreed Statement of Facts.

The Discipline Committee found the Member guilty of professional misconduct, including verbal and psychological abuse.

Accepting a joint submission on penalty, the Committee ordered a reprimand, a three-month suspension, and the completion of a course on diversity and inclusion.

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

The allegations arose from three unsatisfactory performance appraisals that were subsequently annulled after the Member grieved his dismissal.

In exchange for the withdrawal, the Member entered into an Undertaking and Acknowledgement requiring him to complete an additional qualification course and undergo two performance appraisals within 24 months.

The Discipline Committee granted the motion, finding that proceeding with a hearing had no reasonable prospect of success and that the Undertaking adequately protected the public interest.

The member pleaded no contest to allegations of professional misconduct involving the submission of $23,508.80 in ineligible health benefit claims, unauthorized course changes, and submitting grades based on insufficient student work.

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

Accepting a joint submission on penalty, the Committee ordered a reprimand, a 10-month suspension of the member's certificate of qualification, and the successful completion of an ethics and student assessment course before returning to teaching.

The Member, a teacher, faced allegations of professional misconduct for making inappropriate, disrespectful, and sexual comments to female administrators and colleagues over several years.

The Member pleaded no contest to the allegations.

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

Accepting a joint submission on penalty, the Committee ordered a reprimand, a three-month suspension of the Member's Certificate of Qualification and Registration, and the successful completion of a course on boundary violations.