Wes Vickers

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's conduct involved inappropriate and discriminatory treatment of a student based on sexual orientation, which led to the student being 'outed'.

The Committee accepted a joint submission on penalty, ordering a reprimand, a five-month suspension of the member's certificate, and the successful completion of coursework on classroom management and ethical practice before returning to teaching.

The Member pleaded guilty to professional misconduct after making unwanted physical contact with a co-worker in a windowless storage room.

The Discipline Committee accepted the Agreed Statement of Facts and found the Member guilty of failing to maintain professional standards, engaging in disgraceful or unprofessional conduct, and conduct unbecoming a member.

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

The Ontario College of Teachers brought disciplinary proceedings against a teacher for allegedly calling a student by his last name, treating him differently, and commenting on his sexual orientation in front of other students.

The Discipline Committee found that while the teacher did call the student by his last name, there was insufficient evidence to prove she treated him differently based on her opinion of him.

However, the Committee found that the teacher did ask the student about his sexual orientation in front of his peers, which constituted verbal and psychological abuse.

The teacher was found guilty of professional misconduct for failing to maintain the standards of the profession, abusing a student, and engaging in disgraceful, dishonourable, and unprofessional conduct.

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

The member consented to the motion.

The Discipline Committee granted the motion, noting that the member's case had previously been dealt with by another Committee of the College, making the withdrawal reasonable and in the public interest.

The College of Teachers brought a motion to withdraw an allegation of sexual abuse against the member, presenting an Agreed Statement of Facts and Guilty Plea that did not include an admission to sexual abuse.

The Discipline Committee rejected the joint submission and denied the motion to withdraw the allegation, finding that the admitted facts—which included inappropriate touching and remarks of a sexual nature—met the statutory definition of sexual abuse.

The Committee concluded that accepting the agreement would bring the administration of the discipline process into disrepute and be contrary to the public interest.

The Member pleaded guilty to professional misconduct, including the sexual abuse of a student.

The Discipline Committee found the Member guilty based on an Agreed Statement of Facts.

The Member had engaged in a sexual relationship with a student while acting as her teacher and coach, and was criminally convicted of sexual exploitation.

The Committee accepted a joint submission on penalty, ordering a reprimand and the immediate revocation of the Member's teaching certificate, which is the mandatory penalty for sexual abuse under the Ontario College of Teachers Act.

The Member, a teacher, pleaded guilty to professional misconduct for a pattern of inappropriate, unprofessional, and abusive behaviour towards multiple students over two academic years.

The Member verbally and psychologically abused students, making them feel singled out, ridiculed, and embarrassed, and failed to provide accommodation to a student with an Individual Education Plan.

The Discipline Committee accepted the Agreed Statement of Facts and Joint Submission on Penalty, finding the Member guilty of professional misconduct.

The Committee ordered a reprimand and imposed terms, conditions, or limitations on the Member's certificate requiring her to complete an Additional Qualification course focused on professional practice and student well-being.

At the outset of a discipline hearing, the member's representative brought a motion to dismiss the proceedings for delay, arguing that seven years had passed since the alleged misconduct.

The Discipline Committee applied the Blencoe test and found no inordinate delay attributable solely to the College, nor any evidence of prejudice to the member.

The representative then requested an adjournment to call witnesses.

The Committee denied the adjournment, noting the request was untimely, the reasons were insufficient, and granting it would prejudice the College, which had witnesses ready to testify.

During a discipline hearing, the member's representative brought a second motion for an adjournment.

The representative indicated confusion regarding the adversarial process and a desire to secure legal counsel, which had not been disclosed during the first motion.

The Discipline Committee found this constituted a change in circumstances.

Although not all factors under Rule 14 were met, the Committee granted the adjournment to allow the member to retain counsel and properly prepare, noting that the College would not be prejudiced as it had already called all its witnesses.

The Member, a teacher, pleaded guilty to professional misconduct for engaging in inappropriate personal electronic communications and boundary violations with a student over a six-month period.

The Children's Aid Society concluded the conduct constituted grooming behaviour.

The Discipline Committee accepted a joint submission on penalty, ordering a reprimand, a two-month suspension of the Member's teaching certificate, and the successful completion of a course on boundary violations.

The Member pleaded guilty to professional misconduct after being convicted of assault in relation to a domestic incident.

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

The Committee accepted a Joint Submission on Penalty, ordering a reprimand and the completion of a course on professional boundary issues.

The Member, a teacher, faced allegations of professional misconduct for making inappropriate, demeaning, and verbally abusive comments to students, and for failing to comply with a prior agreement with the College to complete additional coursework.

The Member pleaded guilty to the allegations.

The Discipline Committee found the Member guilty of professional misconduct and accepted a joint submission on penalty, ordering a reprimand and imposing conditions on the Member's certificate requiring the successful completion of specific coursework before returning to teaching.

The College brought a motion to withdraw allegations of professional misconduct against the Member in exchange for his Undertaking, Acknowledgment and Consent.

The Member agreed to resign his membership immediately and undertook not to teach in Ontario or apply for reinstatement for at least one year.

The Discipline Committee granted the motion, finding that the withdrawal of the Notice of Hearing in exchange for the undertaking was reasonable and served to protect the public interest.

The Ontario College of Teachers brought a discipline proceeding against a member who had been criminally convicted of possessing and accessing child pornography.

The member did not attend the hearing.

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

As the member's conduct involved a prohibited act involving child pornography, the Committee was required by statute to order the mandatory revocation of his teaching certificate and a reprimand.

The Member, a teacher and department head, pleaded guilty to professional misconduct for purchasing stolen goods from a student, encouraging other teachers to do the same, and allowing the student to take school property in exchange.

The Discipline Committee accepted an agreed statement of facts and a joint submission on penalty.

The Member was found guilty of failing to maintain the standards of the profession, engaging in disgraceful, dishonourable or unprofessional conduct, and conduct unbecoming a member.

The Committee ordered a reprimand, a two-month retroactive suspension, and the successful completion of a professional ethics course.

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

The member admitted to making inappropriate comments to students, treating female students differently, and giving expensive gifts to two female students, which made them uncomfortable.

The Discipline Committee accepted an Agreed Statement of Facts and found the member guilty of professional misconduct, including failing to maintain professional standards and psychological or emotional abuse.

The Committee accepted a joint submission on penalty, ordering a reprimand and requiring the member to complete a course on appropriate boundaries with students.

The Member, a teacher, pleaded no contest to allegations of professional misconduct arising from an offensive comment made about a colleague and an inappropriate, potentially racist comment made to a student.

The Discipline Committee accepted the uncontested facts and found the Member guilty of professional misconduct for failing to maintain the standards of the profession and engaging in disgraceful, dishonourable, or unprofessional conduct.

The Committee accepted a joint submission on penalty and ordered that the Member receive a reprimand, with the fact of the reprimand recorded on the College's register.

The Member, a teacher, pleaded guilty to professional misconduct for verbally and physically abusing a special needs student and acting unprofessionally toward a colleague.

The Discipline Committee accepted an Agreed Statement of Facts and Joint Submission on Penalty.

The Member was found guilty of professional misconduct and ordered to receive a reprimand and complete an anger management course focused on dealing with special needs students.

The Member, a teacher, conducted a science experiment involving open flames and flammable liquids without taking adequate safety precautions.

The experiment resulted in a flash fire that injured several students.

The Member pleaded guilty to professional misconduct, including failing to maintain the standards of the profession, physical and psychological abuse of students, and failing to adequately supervise students.

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

The Member, a teacher, faced allegations of professional misconduct for throwing chalk and erasers at students, using profanity, and making inappropriate comments about students with exceptionalities and parents.

The Member pleaded no contest to the allegations.

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 a course on professional boundaries.

The Committee also ordered the publication of the decision with the Member's name, finding that the aggravating factors of the misconduct outweighed the mitigating factors.