Kaley Duff

The Ontario College of Teachers brought a discipline proceeding against the member for professional misconduct, including allegations of sexual, psychological, and emotional abuse of students.

The member admitted to sending numerous inappropriate and sexually suggestive messages to two students via Facebook, demonstrating a pattern of grooming behaviour.

The member also admitted to unprofessional conduct towards colleagues and students in the classroom.

The Discipline Committee accepted the agreed statement of facts and found the member guilty of professional misconduct.

Pursuant to the mandatory penalty provisions for sexual abuse under the Ontario College of Teachers Act, the Committee ordered a reprimand and the immediate revocation of the member's teaching certificate.

The Member, a teacher whose certificate was mandatorily revoked after being found to have sexually abused a student by making remarks of a sexual nature, brought a motion challenging the constitutionality of the mandatory revocation provisions of the Ontario College of Teachers Act.

The Member argued the provisions violated his right to freedom of expression under section 2(b) of the Charter.

The Discipline Committee admitted expert evidence from both parties.

Applying the Irwin Toy and Oakes tests, the Committee found that while the mandatory revocation provisions do infringe on the Member's freedom of expression, the infringement is demonstrably justified under section 1 of the Charter.

The Committee held that protecting vulnerable students from the harmful effects of sexual abuse is a pressing and substantial objective, and that a bright-line rule of mandatory revocation is rationally connected and proportionate to that goal.

The constitutional motion was dismissed.

The member, a teacher, faced allegations of professional misconduct for engaging in inappropriate electronic communications with a former student over social media.

The member pleaded no contest to the allegations.

The Discipline Committee found the member guilty of professional misconduct, including psychological or emotional abuse of a student, and conduct that was disgraceful, dishonourable, and unprofessional.

Accepting a joint submission on penalty, the Committee ordered a written reprimand, a three-month suspension of the member's certificate, and the completion of a course on boundary violations.

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

The parties agreed to the withdrawal after the respondent signed an Undertaking, Agreement and Acknowledgment, in which he irrevocably resigned his membership, surrendered his Certificate of Qualification and Registration, and undertook never to teach again in Ontario.

The Discipline Committee granted the motion, finding that the withdrawal protected the public interest, avoided a protracted hearing, and spared vulnerable young witnesses from testifying.

In a discipline proceeding against a teacher found to have engaged in sexual abuse, the member brought a constitutional motion challenging the mandatory revocation provisions of the Ontario College of Teachers Act.

Prior to hearing the motion, the parties sought a ruling on the admissibility of two expert reports.

The Discipline Committee ruled that the expert reports of Dr. Anthony Doob, regarding general deterrence and mandatory minimum sentences, and Dr. Mary Louise Arnold, regarding the harms of sexual abuse in teacher-student interactions, were both admissible.

Written reasons were to follow.

The Member, a teacher, faced allegations of professional misconduct for instructing two students to prepare assessment materials for her classes, providing one student with access to other students' marks, and submitting false marks for that student.

The Member pleaded no contest to the allegations.

The Discipline Committee found the Member guilty of professional misconduct, including falsifying records, breaching confidentiality, and engaging in disgraceful, dishonourable, and unprofessional conduct.

Accepting a joint submission on penalty, the Committee ordered a reprimand, a two-month suspension of the Member's certificate, and the successful completion of coursework on professional ethics and student assessment.

The Member faced allegations of professional misconduct for verbally, physically, and emotionally abusing students, and failing to adequately supervise them during the 2016/2017 school year.

The Member pleaded no contest to the allegations.

The Discipline Committee found the Member guilty of professional misconduct, noting incidents where the Member made inappropriate and insensitive comments, grabbed and dragged a student, and left students unsupervised.

The Committee accepted a joint submission on penalty, ordering a reprimand, a five-month suspension of the Member's certificate, and the completion of a course on classroom management.

The Member, an occasional teacher, faced allegations of professional misconduct including verbal and psychological abuse of students, inadequate supervision, and unprofessional interactions with colleagues and superiors.

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, a three-month suspension of the Member's teaching certificate, and the successful completion of coursework in professional ethics and classroom management.