Luisa Ritacca

The appellant, a thoroughbred trainer, appealed a Stewards' decision suspending him for one year and fining him $5,000 after his horse tested positive for codeine and morphine, both Class I drugs.

The appellant argued the positive test resulted from environmental contamination, specifically poppy seeds or human source contamination.

The Commission rejected this defense, finding it could not account for the presence of codeine and that the appellant failed to meet the strict liability standard of taking all reasonable care to protect the horse.

The appeal was denied, but the Commission stayed the last two months of the 12-month suspension in recognition of the appellant's previous good record.

The applicants, standardbred horse owners, appealed a decision by Woodbine Entertainment Group (WEG) to indefinitely deny their horses entry into races at WEG facilities.

The suspension followed a positive test for EPO in another horse trained by the same trainer, William Elliott.

The Ontario Racing Commission determined it had jurisdiction to hear the appeal and found that WEG's unilateral rejection of the entries lacked procedural fairness and was based on suspicion rather than evidence of wrongdoing by the applicants.

The Commission ordered that WEG is prohibited from rejecting the applicants' eligible horse entries on a permanent basis.

The member, a teacher of students with Autism Spectrum Disorder, pleaded no contest to allegations of professional misconduct, including using inappropriately loud and aggressive language with students and a parent, applying unnecessary physical discipline to a student, and disregarding a principal's direction.

The Discipline Committee accepted the joint submission on penalty, ordering a reprimand and imposing terms on the member's certificate requiring a performance appraisal within 12 months.

The Ontario College of Teachers brought professional misconduct allegations against a member who had been convicted of multiple criminal offences, including gross indecency, indecent assault, and sexual assault against minors.

The member pleaded no contest to the allegations.

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

The Committee ordered the revocation of the member's teaching certificate and directed that the decision be published with the member's name, emphasizing the need for specific and general deterrence and the protection of students.

The Ontario College of Teachers brought discipline proceedings against a member for professional misconduct and incompetence, alleging failures in lesson planning, student supervision, record keeping, and maintaining professional boundaries.

The member did not attend the hearing but submitted a plea of no contest and an agreed statement of facts, admitting to two unsatisfactory performance appraisals.

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

Accepting a joint submission on penalty, the Committee ordered terms and conditions on the member's certificate, requiring her to complete courses in French language instruction and classroom management, and to provide two consecutive satisfactory performance appraisals upon returning to teaching.

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

The member was not in attendance but consented to the withdrawal.

Pursuant to section 4.1 of the Statutory Powers Procedure Act, the Discipline Committee granted the motion and authorized the withdrawal of the allegations.

The member, a high school teacher, pleaded no contest to allegations of professional misconduct, including engaging in an inappropriate sexual relationship with one student and inappropriate physical contact with another.

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

The Committee ordered the immediate revocation of the member's Certificate of Qualification and Registration, emphasizing the need to protect students and maintain public trust in the profession.

The Ontario College of Teachers brought disciplinary proceedings against a member who had been convicted of criminal offences, including assault, careless storage of a firearm, and carrying a weapon for a purpose dangerous to the public peace.

The incidents occurred outside the school setting and involved the member mixing prescription drugs with alcohol before committing violent acts with a rifle.

The Discipline Committee found the member guilty of professional misconduct, noting that such behaviour, if translated into the classroom, could put students at risk.

The Committee ordered the immediate revocation of the member's teaching certificate and directed that the findings be published without identifying information to protect one of the victims, who was also a member of the College.

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.

The member was not in attendance.

Upon the consent of the parties, the Discipline Committee granted the motion and authorized the withdrawal of the allegations.

The licensee appealed a decision of the Industry Appeal Board which upheld a Stewards' ruling suspending a jockey for three days and disqualifying a horse for interference during a race.

The Ontario Racing Commission found that the jockey drifted out and then moved back to the rail, causing another horse to clip heels and unseat its rider.

The Commission dismissed the appeal and upheld the suspension and disqualification.

The Member, a teacher, was convicted in criminal court of nine counts of indecent assault against seven male students and sentenced to three years' incarceration.

The Ontario College of Teachers brought discipline proceedings based on these convictions.

The Member brought a motion to quash the proceedings, arguing he was not a member at the time of the events or currently, which the Discipline Committee dismissed.

The Committee found the Member guilty of professional misconduct based on the criminal convictions and ordered the revocation of his teaching certificate and publication of the decision with his name.

The member pleaded guilty to professional misconduct for inviting male minors, whom he met through coaching, to his home for sleepovers and providing alcohol to one of them.

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

The member was reprimanded, ordered to complete a course on appropriate boundaries, and the findings were ordered to be published.

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

With the consent of the parties, and pursuant to section 4.1 of the Statutory Powers Procedure Act, the Discipline Committee granted the motion and authorized the withdrawal of the allegations without a hearing.

A thoroughbred licensee appealed a Stewards' Ruling that declared a horse ineligible to race due to a possessory lien.

Prior to the hearing, the lien was discharged and the Stewards issued a new ruling allowing the horse to race.

At the hearing, both parties requested to withdraw the appeal.

The Panel granted the request but noted its concern that the hearing proceeded despite the issue being resolved earlier, warning that future frivolous appeals may result in costs.

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

The member consented to the motion.

Pursuant to section 4.1 of the Statutory Powers Procedure Act, the Discipline Committee granted the motion and authorized the withdrawal of the allegations without a hearing.

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

The member pleaded guilty to failing to maintain the standards of the profession, engaging in unprofessional conduct, and conduct unbecoming a member.

The misconduct involved making inappropriate personal disclosures to students and sharing a room with male students on an overnight school trip.

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

The member was reprimanded, ordered to complete a course on appropriate boundaries, and the decision was ordered to be published.

Woodbine Entertainment Group applied to the Ontario Racing Commission to cancel its remaining Sunday Standardbred race dates due to a shortage of horses and participants.

The Ontario Harness Horse Association opposed the application.

The Commission approved the cancellation on the condition that Woodbine schedule extra races on the remaining days of the meet to mitigate the loss of racing opportunities for horse people.

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

With the consent of the parties and pursuant to section 4.1 of the Statutory Powers Procedure Act, the Discipline Committee granted the motion and authorized the withdrawal of the allegations without a hearing.

A jockey, trainer, and owner appealed a stewards' ruling that disqualified their horse from first place and suspended the jockey for three days due to interference during a race.

The appellants argued that the interference was caused by another jockey's whip getting caught in their horse's tail.

The Ontario Racing Commission found that the jockey initiated the interference by aggressively moving his horse into the path of others, which caused the whip to become entangled.

The appeals were denied, the disqualification was upheld, and the jockey's suspension was confirmed.

Thoroughbred jockey Constant Montpellier appealed a Stewards' Ruling suspending him for 150 days and fining him $5,000 for a premeditated attempt to endanger other riders following a race.

The Ontario Racing Commission panel found him guilty of violating the Rules of Thoroughbred Racing, noting he willfully sought revenge against another jockey and endangered the safety of riders and horses.

The panel denied the appeal as to liability but varied the penalty to a $2,500 fine, a 60-day suspension (with 20 days stayed), and directed him to seek an anger management assessment.