What Would You Do?

By law, cases under investigation are confidential. For the education of members, the following accounts, based on facts from real cases, raise important questions about teacher conduct, such as what is appropriate and what is not. Details have been altered to respect confidentiality.

The College received a complaint regarding Louis, a high school teacher. It was alleged that he shared a personal anecdote with students that was demeaning to members of 2SLGBTQ+ communities.

He also allegedly made numerous culturally insensitive remarks, including making fun of ethnic and religious groups.

Louis acknowledged making the comments referred to in the allegations, but explained they were intended to be humorous and had been taken out of context.

The school board conducted an investigation and suspended him for a brief period of time. He was also counselled on how to create and maintain respectful boundaries with students.

If you were a member of the Investigation Committee panel, would you dismiss the complaint or refer the matter to the Discipline Committee for a hearing?

The Outcome

The College's mandate is to regulate the teaching profession in the public interest. One of its roles is to resolve complaints about members. The Investigation Committee panel reviewed the parties' submissions and all relevant information available to the College. Members of the panel were satisfied that the allegations set out in the complaint related to professional misconduct, incompetence or incapacity. They referred the matter to the Discipline Committee.