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 Ronnie Joseph Odjig, a member of the Ontario College of Teachers.
PANEL: Vicki Shannon, OCT, Chair Robert Gagné Shanlee Linton, OCT
BETWEEN:
ONTARIO COLLEGE OF TEACHERS Christine Wadsworth, McCarthy Tétrault LLP, for Ontario College of Teachers, assisted by Annie Lacroix, Law Clerk
-and-
RONNIE JOSEPH ODJIG (CERTIFICATE # 162470) Ronnie Joseph Odjig, Self-represented
Erica Richler, Steinecke Maciura LeBlanc, Independent Legal Counsel
Heard: April 27, 2018
ORAL DECISION ON PENALTY
On November 14, 2017, a panel of the Discipline Committee (the “Committee”) of the Ontario College of Teachers (the “College”) found Ronnie Joseph Odjig (the “Member”) guilty of professional misconduct. In particular, the Committee found that the Member contravened subsections 1(5), 1(7.2), 1(18) and 1(19) of Ontario Regulation 437/97. The College did not prove that the Member breached subsections 1(7), 1(7.1), 1(7.3) or 1(15) of Ontario Regulation 437/97, as alleged in the Notice of Hearing dated June 29, 2016.
The Committee reconvened on April 27, 2018 to hear submissions with respect to penalty. The Member was self-represented and he was in attendance for this phase of the hearing
PENALTY DECISION
The Committee makes the following order as to penalty:
the Member is directed to appear before the Committee immediately following the hearing of this matter to receive a reprimand which is to be delivered in person at the offices of the Ontario College of Teachers, 101 Bloor St. West, Toronto, Ontario, and the fact of the reprimand is to be recorded to the Register of the Ontario College of Teachers (the “Register”);
the Registrar is directed to suspend the Certificate of Qualification and Registration of the Member for a period of three months commencing on the date of the Order of the Discipline Committee relating to this matter and the fact of the suspension is to be recorded on the Register;
the Registrar is directed 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 a teaching position or any position for which a Certificate of Qualification and Registration is required (a “Teaching Position”), the Member shall enrol in and successfully complete at his own expense, a course of instruction pre-approved by the Registrar regarding professional boundaries and boundary violations,1 subject to the following conditions;
(i) the Member will provide to a course practitioner approved by the Registrar, a copy of the Decision on Finding and Reasons for Decision and the Penalty Decision and Reasons for Penalty of the Discipline Committee;
(ii) upon review of the documents 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;
(b) within 30 days of his completion of the course outlined in paragraph (a) above, the Member shall provide to the Registrar a written report 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.
A written decision with reasons will follow.
Date: April 27, 2018
Vicki Shannon, OCT Chair, Discipline Panel
Robert Gagné Member, Discipline Panel
Shanlee Linton, OCT Member, Discipline Panel