Governing Ourselves informs members of legal and regulatory matters affecting the profession. This section provides updates on licensing and qualification requirements, notification of Council resolutions and reports from various Council committees, including reports on accreditation and discipline matters.
DISPUTE RESOLUTION
The College uses Dispute Resolution (DR) to help resolve complaints regarding members of the profession. DR is voluntary and without prejudice to the parties. The outcomes of the process are similar to those that would be expected following a full investigation and/or contested hearing.
Summaries of the cases reported here are based on facts derived from agreements signed by the College Registrar and the member, which are ratifed by the Investigation Committee. Publication is a provision of the agreements.
Case #1
Complaint: Grabbing student by the arm
Outcome of DR: Written caution
The Investigation Committee cautioned an elementary school teacher for grabbing a student’s arm.
The committee ratified a memorandum of agreement in which the member acknowledged the conduct and admitted that she had behaved in an inappropriate manner. In addition to agreeing to be cautioned by the committee, the member also agreed to complete a course covering classroom management, including effective discipline techniques.
Case #2
Complaint: Selling textbooks and workbook copies and keeping the proceeds until approached by principal
Outcome of DR: Written caution
The Investigation Committee cautioned in writing a continuing education program teacher for taking textbooks from one school without the authority to do so and selling some to students in a night school program at another school, selling photocopies of copyrighted work-books to students enrolled in the night school program, and keeping the proceeds of sale from the textbooks and workbook copies until approached by the night school principal.
The member admitted taking these actions. The member returned the $410 that he had collected from the students to the night school principal and made a monetary donation to a charity.
In the memorandum of agreement, ratified by the Committee, the member agreed to be cautioned in writing. The member had been previously reprimanded by the board for his conduct and suspended from his employment without pay for five days. The member is no longer permitted to hold any position involving budgetary responsibilities.
Case #3
Complaint: Making inappropriate comments, discussing an inappropriate video and stating that he wanted to pick up a desk and throw it at someone
Outcome of DR: Written admonishment
The Investigation Committee admonished a gifted-program teacher in writing for making inappropriate comments to his students, discussing an inappropriate YouTube video with them and telling them it was funny — although it contained swearing, sexual content and references to prostitution — and telling the class that he wanted to pick up a desk and throw it at someone.
The committee ratified a memorandum of agreement in which the member admitted to taking these actions, recognized that his conduct was unbecoming of a teacher, and agreed to be admonished in writing. The member had been previously issued letters of discipline by the board and suspended from his employment without pay for the conduct that led to this complaint. The member also successfully completed anger-management counselling.
When the Discipline Committee finds a member guilty of professional misconduct, the member’s name may be published in Professionally Speaking. If a similar matter is disposed of by the Investigation Committee or DR at the investigation stage and the result is a caution, the name of the member is not published. The College monitors compliance with all agreements reached through DR.
