DISCIPLINE COMMITTEE OF THE ONTARIO COLLEGE OF TEACHERS
IN THE MATTER OF the Ontario College of Teachers Act, 1996 and the Regulation (Ontario Regulation 437/97) thereunder;
AND IN THE MATTER OF a discipline proceeding against
Leanora Brown, a member of the Ontario College of Teachers.
PANEL: Robert Gagné, Chair
Jean-Luc Bernard, OCT
Brigitte Bidal-Piquette, OCT
BETWEEN: )
) Zirka Jakibchuk and Janice Duggan,
ONTARIO COLLEGE OF TEACHERS ) for Ontario College of Teachers, )
– and – )
LEANORA BROWN ) Leanora Brown was not present
(CERTIFICATE #170623) ) or represented
) Rebecca Durcan,
) Steinecke Maciura LeBlanc, ) Independent Legal Counsel
) ) Heard: May 2, 2017
ORAL DECISION AND ORDER
This matter came on for hearing before a panel of the Discipline Committee (the “Committee”) on May 2, 2017 at the Ontario College of Teachers (the “College”) at Toronto.
The Member was not in attendance for the hearing and did not have legal representation.
DECISION
Having considered the testimony of the witnesses, the documentary and videotape evidence and the submissions of College Counsel, the Committee finds that the facts support a finding of professional misconduct. In particular, the Committee finds that the Member committed acts of professional misconduct as alleged, contrary to Ontario Regulation 437/97, subsections 1(5), 1(7), 1(7.2), 1(15), 1(18) and 1(19).
PENALTY DECISION
The Discipline Committee makes the following order as to penalty:
The Committee directs that Leanora Brown appear before the Committee within 60 days of the date of the Decision, Reasons for Decision and Order of the Discipline Committee to receive a reprimand which will be delivered in person at the offices of the Ontario College of Teachers, 101 Bloor Street W., Toronto, Ontario, and the fact of the reprimand is to be recorded on the Register of the Ontario College of Teachers (the “Register”);
The Committee directs the Registrar of the Ontario College of Teachers (the "Registrar") to impose the following terms, conditions or limitations on the Member's Certificate of Qualification and Registration, the fact of such terms, conditions or limitations to be recorded on the Register until such time as they are fulfilled:
(a) prior to commencing employment for which a Certificate of Qualification and Registration is required, the Member shall enrol in and successfully complete at her own expense, a course of instruction pre-approved by the Registrar regarding professional boundaries with students, subject to the following conditions;
(i) the Member will provide to a course practitioner approved by the Registrar, a copy of the Decision, Reasons for Decision and Order of the Discipline Committee;
(ii) upon review of the document noted at paragraph (i) above, the course practitioner will provide to the Registrar, for approval, a syllabus for the proposed course which specifically addresses the Discipline Committee's concerns regarding the Member's professional misconduct. The syllabus proposed by the course practitioner shall also specify the length of the course to be undertaken by the Member, and the assignments to be completed by the Member; and
(b) within 30 days of her completion of the course outlined in (a) above, the Member shall provide to the Registrar a written certificate from the course practitioner:
(i) stating that the Member has successfully completed the course and reporting on the progress of the Member with respect to addressing the outlined goals of the course.
Date: May 2, 2017
Robert Gagné
Chair, Discipline Panel
______________________________ Jean-Luc Bernard, OCT
Member, Discipline Panel
Brigitte Bidal-Piquette, OCT
Member, Discipline Panel