William (Bill) Kirkwood

The Member, a teacher, pleaded guilty to professional misconduct for failing to maintain professional boundaries with a student.

The Member met with a female student outside of school hours to discuss babysitting arrangements and exchanged cell phone numbers.

The Discipline Committee accepted the guilty plea and ordered a reprimand, a one-month suspension, completion of a boundaries course, and publication of the decision without the Member's name.

The member, a teacher, faced allegations of professional misconduct for failing to maintain professional boundaries with a student.

Despite directions from the principal to cease contact outside of school, the member continued to communicate with the student electronically, met socially, and discussed the student's sexuality.

The member pleaded no contest to the allegations and admitted to the uncontested facts.

The Discipline Committee found the member guilty of professional misconduct.

As the member had already resigned and undertaken never to teach again, the Committee ordered a reprimand and directed that the findings and order be published with the member's name in the College's official publication.

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

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

The member consented to the motion.

The Discipline Committee granted the motion, finding the withdrawal to be reasonable, appropriate, and in the public interest.

The Ontario College of Teachers brought disciplinary proceedings against a member who was arrested for loitering naked outside the home of a former student.

The member pled no contest to allegations of professional misconduct, acknowledging that his off-duty conduct was unprofessional and unbecoming a member of the profession.

The Discipline Committee accepted the joint submission on penalty, ordering a reprimand, a three-month suspension, and conditions requiring psychiatric clearance and an ethics course before returning to teaching.

The Committee also ordered the publication of the member's name, finding that the serious nature of the off-duty conduct warranted transparency and general deterrence.