A school principal was charged with assault for restraining a nine-year-old grade four student who was demonstrating disruptive and aggressive behaviour in the schoolyard during lunch period.
The defendant attempted to calm and de-escalate the situation verbally before resorting to a rear restraint technique after exhausting all other options.
The central legal issue was whether the defendant's actions fell within the defence provided by section 43 of the Criminal Code, which permits the use of reasonable corrective force by educators.
The court found that the defendant's actions were both corrective in purpose and reasonable in degree under the circumstances, and acquitted the defendant.
