Tom Potter

The Discipline Committee held a penalty hearing for a teacher previously found to have engaged in professional misconduct by yelling at students, making threatening comments, and failing to follow school policies.

The member did not attend the hearing.

The Committee ordered a reprimand, a four-month suspension commencing in September, completion of coursework on anger and classroom management, and a medical assessment prior to returning to teaching.

The Ontario College of Teachers brought disciplinary proceedings against a teacher for alleged professional misconduct, including verbal and emotional abuse of students, inappropriate boundaries, and threatening comments.

The Discipline Committee qualified the school principal as a participant expert and admitted her contemporaneous investigation notes as reliable hearsay.

The Committee found that the member frequently yelled at students, made threatening remarks such as 'I'm going to gun you down individually', and paid inappropriate attention to two students, causing them distress.

The member was found guilty of professional misconduct for failing to maintain the standards of the profession, abusing students verbally and emotionally, and engaging in disgraceful, dishonourable, and unprofessional conduct.

A penalty hearing was ordered to be scheduled.

The Member brought a motion to adjourn the discipline hearing for medical reasons.

The College consented to the adjournment but requested conditions for any future adjournment requests, including a requirement for an independent medical evaluation.

The Discipline Committee granted the adjournment and imposed conditions on future requests, noting the need to prevent undue delay and manage committee resources.

The Committee ordered that if the Member seeks a future adjournment for medical reasons and the College reasonably requests an independent medical evaluation, the Member may consent to it, with any refusal to be considered by a future panel.

The Ontario College of Teachers brought a discipline proceeding against a member who was convicted of criminal offences including assault, unlawful confinement, and mischief against his former partner.

The member did not attend the hearing.

The Discipline Committee found that the member's criminal conduct, which involved repeated acts of violence and property damage, was relevant to his suitability to teach and constituted professional misconduct.

The Committee revoked the member's teaching certificate, emphasizing the need for public protection and general deterrence, and ordered the member to pay $10,000 in costs.

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

The member repeatedly used instructional time to present personal, one-sided views about vaccines and made dismissive comments about mental health conditions, telling students that depression and anxiety were not real and that vaccines cause autism.

He also used disrespectful language, telling students to 'shut up' when they disagreed.

The member pleaded no contest to the allegations.

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

The Committee accepted a joint submission on penalty, ordering a reprimand and a six-month suspension, noting that the member had also irrevocably resigned and undertaken never to teach again in Ontario.

The Member, a Vice-Principal, pleaded no contest to allegations of professional misconduct after allowing a student to host a party at his residence where underage drinking and marijuana use occurred.

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

Accepting a joint submission on penalty, the Committee ordered a reprimand and required the Member to complete coursework on professional ethics and boundaries.

The Member, a teacher, pled guilty to professional misconduct for repeatedly engaging in inappropriate electronic communications with students, altering student photos, and using a false identity on social media to contact a student regarding a school yearbook, contrary to his principal's directions.

The Discipline Committee accepted the guilty plea and found the Member committed professional misconduct including verbal and emotional abuse.

A majority of the panel accepted a joint submission on penalty, ordering a reprimand, a three-month suspension, and completion of a course on boundaries and professional ethics.

One panel member dissented on penalty, finding a 12-month suspension was warranted given the severity of the boundary violations and the Member's prior disciplinary history.

The Discipline Committee of the Ontario College of Teachers found the member engaged in professional misconduct.

The panel accepted a joint submission on penalty, ordering a reprimand, a three-month suspension, and the completion of coursework on boundaries and professional ethics.

One panel member dissented on the length of the suspension, stating a 12-month suspension would have been appropriate.

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

The Member did not attend the hearing.

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

The Committee ordered that the Member be reprimanded, his Certificate of Qualification and Registration be immediately revoked, and he pay $20,000 in costs to the College.

The Member brought a motion to adjourn the scheduled discipline hearing dates for medical reasons.

The College did not oppose the motion but requested terms and conditions.

The Discipline Committee granted the adjournment to September 13, 2021, and imposed conditions on any future adjournment requests for medical reasons, including the requirement to submit to an independent medical evaluation if requested by the College.

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

The Member did not attend but entered into an Agreed Statement of Facts and Guilty Plea.

The Discipline Committee found the Member engaged in professional misconduct under multiple subsections of Ontario Regulation 437/97.

The penalty phase was adjourned for further submissions on how the proposed penalty meets the goals of student protection and public confidence.

The Member, a teacher, pleaded guilty to professional misconduct for engaging in an inappropriate personal relationship with a vulnerable student.

Over a two-month period, the Member exchanged 213 emails with the student containing highly personal and emotionally intense comments.

The Discipline Committee accepted the Agreed Statement of Facts and found the Member guilty of failing to maintain professional standards, psychological or emotional abuse, and disgraceful, dishonourable, or unprofessional conduct.

Accepting a joint submission on penalty, the Committee ordered a reprimand, a six-month suspension of the Member's certificate, and the successful completion of a course on professional boundaries.

The member brought a motion to adjourn the continuation of his discipline hearing due to medical issues.

The College consented to the adjournment on the condition that the member sign an Undertaking and Acknowledgement agreeing not to teach until the matter is adjudicated.

The Discipline Committee granted the adjournment, finding that the medical issues were an appropriate reason and the public interest was protected by the undertaking.

The Member pleaded guilty to professional misconduct for showing inappropriate videos containing violence, nudity, and inappropriate language to students, and for failing to adequately supervise students, which resulted in property damage and put a student's safety at risk.

The Discipline Committee accepted the joint submission on penalty, ordering a reprimand, a three-month suspension, and the successful completion of a course on boundary violations, professional ethics, and classroom management.

The Member, a teacher, faced allegations of professional misconduct for verbally and psychologically abusing students, disclosing student information, and harassing a colleague.

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.

Accepting a joint submission on penalty, the Committee ordered a reprimand and required the Member to complete coursework in anger management and communication/classroom management.

The Member, an elementary teacher, faced allegations of professional misconduct for harassing his school principal.

After the principal rejected his romantic gestures and gifts, the Member persisted in his behaviour, researched her past using a pseudonym, and contacted her former colleagues and friends.

The Member pled guilty to professional misconduct.

The Discipline Committee accepted a joint submission on penalty, ordering a reprimand, a four-month suspension, and the completion of a course on boundary violations.

The Ontario College of Teachers brought a discipline proceeding against a member alleging professional misconduct arising from off-duty conduct.

The allegations centered on a years-long feud with a neighbour at a local dog park, which included verbal altercations, swearing, and a minor physical shove when the neighbour grabbed the member's dog.

The Discipline Committee dismissed the allegations, finding that while the member's behaviour was unsavoury, rude, and demonstrated poor management of his dog, it constituted a private dispute that did not engage the broader public interest or undermine the reputation of the teaching profession.

The member was found not guilty of professional misconduct.

The Ontario College of Teachers brought disciplinary proceedings against the Member for professional misconduct.

The Member admitted to failing to familiarize himself with a student's Individual Education Plan (IEP) and acting discourteously toward a parent and principal.

The Member also admitted to making unwelcome physical contact and inappropriate comments toward a student teacher under his supervision.

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

The Member was found guilty of professional misconduct and ordered to receive a reprimand, serve a three-month suspension, and complete coursework on professional boundaries, anger management, and ethical responsibilities.

The Member faced allegations of professional misconduct for sexually abusing a student through sexually explicit electronic communications and online sexual acts.

The Member brought a motion for a publication ban on his name, presenting unopposed medical evidence that publication would likely cause him serious harm.

The Discipline Committee granted the exceptional publication ban under the Ontario College of Teachers Act, 1996.

On the merits, the Member pleaded no contest to the allegations.

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

Pursuant to the mandatory penalty provisions of the Act, the Committee ordered the immediate revocation of the Member's Certificate of Qualification and Registration and a reprimand.

The Member pleaded guilty to professional misconduct, including sexual abuse of a student, following a criminal conviction for sexual assault.

The Discipline Committee accepted an Agreed Statement of Facts and found the Member guilty of professional misconduct.

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