Stefanie Achkewich

The Discipline Committee of the Ontario College of Teachers held a penalty hearing for a retired member previously found guilty of professional misconduct.

The misconduct involved violating school policy by allowing unauthorized vehicles on school property, using the auto shop for personal repairs, removing a lathe without permission, allowing an unauthorized volunteer, and failing to comply with health and safety provisions.

The Committee accepted a joint submission on penalty, ordering a reprimand, the completion of a safety course before returning to teaching, and publication of the decision with the member's name.

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

The College advised that it did not intend to pursue the case because the member had been acquitted of the same allegations in another proceeding outside the College.

With the consent of the parties, the Discipline Committee granted the motion, finding the withdrawal to be reasonable, appropriate, and in the public interest.

The Ontario College of Teachers brought a discipline proceeding against a member for professional misconduct involving three incidents: failing to follow school trip procedures, making inappropriate comments to students (telling them to 'shut up' and calling them 'losers'), and making threatening comments about the principal.

The member did not attend the hearing.

The Discipline Committee found the member guilty of professional misconduct, noting a pattern of insubordination and unprofessional behaviour.

The Committee ordered a reprimand, a six-month suspension, completion of an anger management course, and publication of the decision with the member's name.

The Member, a teacher, faced allegations of professional misconduct for showing inappropriate material, including a PG-13 movie and postcards depicting nude figures, to his Grade 8 class, and for making inappropriate comments and gestures.

The Member pleaded guilty to failing to maintain the standards of the profession, failing to comply with the Education Act, and engaging in unprofessional and unbecoming conduct.

The Discipline Committee accepted the guilty plea and the joint submission on penalty.

The Committee ordered a reprimand, a 25-day retroactive suspension, completion of a course on adolescent development and professional boundaries, and publication of the decision with the Member's name.

The Ontario College of Teachers brought a motion seeking leave to withdraw allegations of professional misconduct against the Member, which included physical, psychological, and sexual abuse of students.

The College submitted there was no reasonable prospect of obtaining a finding of professional misconduct.

The Discipline Committee granted the motion on consent, authorizing the withdrawal of the allegations in exchange for the Member's immediate resignation and an undertaking never to teach again or seek reinstatement.

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

College Counsel determined there was insufficient evidence to support the allegations and no reasonable prospect of obtaining a finding of professional misconduct.

The Member's counsel consented.

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

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

The member pleaded no contest to allegations including making physical contact with a student whose arm was in a cast, sending disruptive students into the hallway without notifying the office, breaking a student's umbrella, verbally abusing a student, and drinking a student's emergency pop despite knowing the student was diabetic.

The Discipline Committee accepted the plea and found the member guilty of professional misconduct and incompetence.

Accepting a joint submission on penalty, the Committee ordered a reprimand, completion of an anger management course, and publication of the decision with the member's name.

The Ontario College of Teachers brought a discipline proceeding against a member who had been criminally convicted of thirteen counts of indecent assault and one count of gross indecency involving male children.

The member did not attend the hearing.

The Discipline Committee found the member guilty of professional misconduct based on the criminal convictions.

The Committee ordered the revocation of the member's certificate of qualification and registration, and directed publication of the decision with the member's name.

The Discipline Committee held a penalty hearing after finding the Member guilty of professional misconduct and incompetence related to poor classroom management and failure to ensure student safety.

The College sought a reprimand, coursework, a one-month suspension, publication with name, and $15,000 in costs.

The Member agreed to the reprimand and coursework but opposed the suspension, publication with name, and costs.

The Committee ordered a reprimand, coursework, and publication with name to serve as specific and general deterrents.

The Committee declined to order a suspension, finding insufficient evidence to support it, and denied the College's request for costs, concluding that the Member's defence was not unreasonable or frivolous.

The Ontario College of Teachers brought a discipline proceeding against a member who taught a Transportation Technology course.

The member admitted to professional misconduct for failing to keep accurate records of services provided on privately owned vehicles and for using school funds to purchase auto parts for his personal vehicles.

The Discipline Committee accepted the member's plea of no contest and found him guilty of professional misconduct.

The Committee ordered a reprimand, the completion of a course on professional ethics and record keeping, and publication of the decision with the member's name, emphasizing the need for general deterrence and the protection of the public interest.

The Ontario College of Teachers brought disciplinary proceedings against a member for professional misconduct relating to her classroom management and treatment of students.

Over three academic years, the member yelled at students, displayed frustration, and used inappropriate discipline strategies, such as forbidding a student from speaking and singling out students in front of their peers.

The member pleaded guilty to professional misconduct, including verbal and emotional abuse of students.

The Discipline Committee accepted the agreed statement of facts and joint submission on penalty, ordering a reprimand, completion of a classroom management course, and publication of the decision with the member's name.

The Ontario College of Teachers brought disciplinary proceedings against a member who misused a school board's procurement credit card for personal gas purchases on seven occasions.

The member admitted to the misconduct, resigned from his employment, and reimbursed the board.

The Discipline Committee accepted a joint submission on resolution, finding the member guilty of professional misconduct.

The Committee ordered an oral reprimand, required the member to complete a course on ethical behaviour, and prohibited him from assuming financial responsibilities in any employment requiring a teaching certificate for two years following the course.

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

The criminal charges underlying the allegations had been withdrawn by the Crown due to no reasonable prospect of conviction.

In exchange for the withdrawal of the disciplinary allegations, the member signed an Undertaking and Acknowledgement to immediately resign his membership, never seek reinstatement, and never teach in Ontario again.

The Discipline Committee granted the motion, finding the withdrawal in exchange for the undertaking reasonable and in the public interest.

The Member, an elementary school teacher and high school coach, pleaded guilty to professional misconduct for engaging in a sexual relationship with a student.

The Discipline Committee accepted the agreed statement of facts and found the Member guilty of professional misconduct, including sexual abuse of a student.

The Committee ordered the immediate revocation of the Member's Certificate of Qualification and Registration and directed that the decision be published with the Member's name to serve as a specific and general deterrent.

The Ontario College of Teachers brought disciplinary proceedings against a member who accessed pornographic material on a school laptop and failed to adequately control student access to the device.

The member pleaded guilty to professional misconduct and the parties submitted an Agreed Statement of Facts and a Joint Submission on Penalty.

The Discipline Committee accepted the guilty plea and the joint submission, ordering a reprimand and a two-month suspension of the member's certificate.

The Committee declined the College's request to publish the member's name, finding that publication without the name, combined with the suspension and reprimand, sufficiently protected the public interest and served as a deterrent.

The Member, a school principal, pled guilty to professional misconduct after forging a medical prescription for Percocet and receiving a criminal conviction for forgery.

The Discipline Committee accepted an Agreed Statement of Facts and Joint Submission on Penalty, ordering a reprimand and the completion of a professional ethics course.

The Committee also ordered that the findings be published with the Member's name in the College's official publication, rejecting the Member's request for anonymity, to ensure transparency and serve the public interest.

The Member, an experienced teacher, received two unsatisfactory performance appraisals noting concerns in lesson planning, curriculum delivery, classroom management, communication, and evaluation.

The Member resigned and subsequently pled no contest to incompetence before the Discipline Committee.

The Committee accepted a Memorandum of Agreement, found the Member incompetent, and ordered terms, conditions, and limitations on her certificate requiring her to complete an additional qualification course and submit her next performance appraisal to the Registrar.

The Discipline Committee held a penalty hearing for a teacher previously found guilty of professional misconduct for engaging in oral sex with a student.

The College sought revocation of the member's teaching certificate and publication of the decision with his name, arguing it was the most egregious breach of trust.

The member's counsel argued against publication with name, citing procedural fairness and hardship.

The Committee ordered the revocation of the member's Certificate of Qualification and Registration and directed that the decision be published with his name, emphasizing the need for specific and general deterrence and public protection.

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.

College counsel advised that there was insufficient evidence to obtain a finding of professional misconduct.

The Discipline Committee granted the motion on consent, finding the withdrawal to be 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.

The Member had signed an Undertaking and Acknowledgement agreeing to resign his membership immediately, never seek reinstatement, and never teach again in any Ontario school requiring College membership.

The Discipline Committee granted the motion, finding that the withdrawal of the allegations in exchange for the Undertaking was reasonable and serves to protect the public interest.