OCT 2019

The Ontario College of Teachers brought a discipline proceeding against a member for professional misconduct involving two students.

The member admitted to hitting one student in the face with a duo-tang and grabbing another student by the jacket collar, lifting him off the ground.

The Discipline Committee accepted the member's guilty plea and found him guilty of physical and psychological abuse, failing to maintain professional standards, and engaging in disgraceful, dishonourable, or unprofessional conduct.

The Committee accepted a joint submission on penalty, ordering a reprimand and requiring the member to complete a course on classroom management and adolescent development.

The Ontario College of Teachers brought a motion to withdraw allegations of professional misconduct and incompetence against the respondent member.

The parties agreed to the withdrawal in exchange for the member's Undertaking and Acknowledgment, in which he resigned his membership with immediate effect and undertook not to teach in Ontario.

The Discipline Committee granted the motion, finding that the withdrawal in exchange for the undertaking was reasonable and served to protect the public interest.

The Member, a teacher, pleaded guilty to professional misconduct for failing to maintain professional boundaries and showing favouritism toward a student.

The Member made inappropriate comments, gave the student an inappropriate gift, and provided opportunities to improve marks.

The Discipline Committee accepted a joint submission on penalty, ordering a reprimand and requiring the Member to complete a course on boundary violations.

The Ontario College of Teachers brought disciplinary proceedings against a member for professional misconduct, including the sexual abuse of a student.

The member had previously been convicted of sexual exploitation under the Criminal Code and sentenced to eight months of imprisonment.

The member pled guilty to the professional misconduct allegations and admitted to the facts.

The Discipline Committee accepted the joint submission on penalty, ordering the immediate revocation of the member's Certificate of Qualification and Registration, as mandated by the Ontario College of Teachers Act for this type of sexual abuse, and a written reprimand.

The Member, a teacher, engaged in an inappropriate personal relationship with a student that began when she was in his class and continued after she graduated, ultimately developing into a romantic and sexual relationship.

The Member pleaded no contest to allegations of professional misconduct, including sexual, psychological, and emotional abuse, and failing to maintain professional standards.

The Discipline Committee accepted an expert's conclusion that the Member's actions constituted grooming behaviour.

The Committee found the Member guilty of professional misconduct and, accepting a joint submission on penalty, ordered a reprimand and the immediate revocation of his teaching certificate.

During a discipline hearing against a teacher, two of the three panel members became incapable of continuing.

The self-represented member brought a motion challenging the jurisdiction and propriety of the panel proceeding with only one member.

The remaining panel member held that while section 4.4(1) of the Statutory Powers Procedure Act confers jurisdiction to proceed with one member, it is a discretionary power.

Given the former Chair's assurances about the process, the fairness concerns of losing collective decision-making in a contested hearing with a self-represented litigant, and the relatively early stage of the hearing, the panel declined to exercise its discretion to proceed.

A new panel must be struck.

The Member, a principal and sole director of a private school, pleaded guilty to professional misconduct.

He failed to refund tuition and tuck fees to a student's parent despite a settlement agreement, and misrepresented the school's financial situation.

He also continued to collect fees from other parents while knowing the school was in financial difficulty and likely to close, ultimately giving only one day's notice before ceasing operations.

The Discipline Committee accepted a joint submission on penalty, ordering a written reprimand and a 22-month suspension of his Certificate of Qualification and Registration.

The Member also resigned and undertook not to teach in Ontario.

The member, a teacher, pleaded guilty to professional misconduct for submitting 77 false healthcare benefit claims totaling $3,385 to her school board's benefits provider.

The Discipline Committee accepted the guilty plea and found the member guilty of professional misconduct, including signing a false document, failing to comply with the ethical standards of the profession, and engaging in conduct unbecoming a member.

The Committee accepted a joint submission on penalty, ordering the member to receive a reprimand and to successfully complete a course on ethics and personal responsibility.

The Ontario College of Teachers brought disciplinary proceedings against a member for professional misconduct involving verbal and physical abuse of students.

The Discipline Committee found that the member consistently yelled at students and engaged in inappropriate physical contact, including shoving a student, hitting a student on the head, and grabbing students by their clothing.

The Committee concluded that the member failed to maintain the standards of the profession, abused students verbally and physically, and engaged in disgraceful, dishonourable, and unprofessional conduct.

The member's certificate of qualification was suspended for six months, and he was ordered to receive an oral reprimand and complete coursework in classroom and anger management.

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

The College submitted that there was no reasonable prospect of obtaining a finding of professional misconduct due to insufficient evidence.

The member consented to the motion.

The Discipline Committee granted the motion, finding it reasonable and appropriate, as it is not in the public interest to expend resources on a matter with no reasonable prospect of success.