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Discipline Panel Decisions

Panels of the Discipline Committee have ordered summaries of recent disciplinary cases to be published in Professionally Speaking.


Member: John Domenic Di Pasquale
Registration Number: 192971
Decision: Reprimand and Instruction

A panel of the Discipline Committee held a public hearing on May 3, 2004 into allegations of professional misconduct against John Domenic Di Pasquale. Di Pasquale was certified to teach in 1989 and was employed by the Niagara Catholic District School Board. Di Pasquale was present at the hearing and was represented by counsel.

Di Pasquale faced six allegations of professional misconduct related to improper discussions with members of a girls' soccer team that he coached.

The panel received an agreed statement of facts, plea of no contest and a joint submission on penalty from College and defence counsel.

The agreed statement of facts indicated that between 1996 and 1998, Di Pasquale engaged in several question and answer sessions with members of the soccer team on sexual matters, including details about his own sexual preferences and experiences.

These sessions occurred in hotel rooms while the team was on the road. No other adult was present. The agreed statement of facts noted that the sessions were voluntary and the member did not engage in them for sexual gratification. Following a question and answer session in 1998, Di Pasquale voluntarily stopped the sessions.

The panel found Di Pasquale guilty of professional misconduct but not guilty of sexual abuse.

The panel ordered that Di Pasquale be reprimanded and the fact that he was reprimanded be recorded on the public register for three years. The panel also imposed a number of conditions on Di Pasquale's certificate, among them that he complete, at his own expense, a course of instruction on appropriate teacher-student boundaries. Di Pasquale must also provide the Registrar with a letter from his principal confirming that he has not been the subject of any other complaints of sexual misconduct not related to these allegations.

The decision of the panel appears on the College's public register.


Member: Sean Robert Dickson
Registration Number: 191550
Decision: Revocation

A panel of the Discipline Committee held a public hearing on April 7, 2004 into allegations of professional misconduct against Sean Robert Dickson. Dickson was certified to teach in 1994 and was employed by the Greater Essex County District School Board. Dickson did not attend the hearing nor was he represented by counsel.

Dickson faced seven allegations of professional misconduct and/or incompetence related to videotaping female elementary students in a sexually suggestive and repetitive manner.

The chair of the panel entered a plea of not guilty on behalf of the member.

The panel heard evidence that Dickson was charged under the Criminal Code with two counts of invitation to sexual touching and found guilty. He was sentenced to four months' incarceration and two years' probation. He lost an appeal of his conviction and sentence. Dickson's employment was terminated in January 2001.

The panel heard that between September 1998 and November 2000 Dickson videotaped approximately 30 female students between the ages of 10 and 13.

The panel viewed the tape confiscated in November 2000, which showed two female students sucking on lollipops. Several times the taping was stopped and when it resumed the students' hairstyles had changed or music, makeup and jewellery had been added.

Detective Constable Mark Loop testified that students who had been videotaped stated that Dickson instructed them as to how they should behave on tape. Loop testified that Dickson had refused to answer questions put by the police.

In its decision, the panel rejected Dickson's argument made in the criminal proceedings that the videotapes were made for an educational purpose and had not been made for a sexual purpose. The panel found that Dickson had abused his position of trust and authority and regarded his conduct as "blatantly reprehensible."

The panel found the member guilty of professional misconduct and ordered that his Certificates of Qualification and Registration be revoked. The panel also ordered that Dickson not be allowed to reapply for reinstatement in the College for a period of 10 years.

The decision of the panel appears on the College's public register.


Member: Mark A. Richards
Registration Number: 189476
Decision: Resignation and Undertaking

A panel of the Discipline Committee held a public hearing on May 4, 2004 into allegations of professional misconduct against Mark A. Richards. Richards, 41, was certified to teach in 1992 and was employed by the Ottawa-Carleton District School Board. Richards did not attend the hearing nor was he represented by counsel.

Richards faced seven allegations of professional misconduct and/or incompetence related to inappropriate conversations and contacts with a number of female students.

At the hearing, College counsel withdrew the allegations of incompetence.

The panel received an agreed statement of facts, a plea of no contest and a joint submission on penalty from counsel for the College and for the member.

The agreed statement of facts indicated that Richards engaged with a number of his female students in inappropriate conversations and contacts that failed to respect well-recognized boundaries of appropriate teacher-student relationships.

Examples of inappropriate behaviour included seeking out students at their places of employment, inviting individual students on out-of-school trips, inappropriately revealing information about student performance and using inappropriate language in conversation.

The agreed statement of facts also noted that Richards was expressly advised by his principal not to communicate with any of the students involved about the investigation into his conduct. Despite the warning, the member contacted at least two of the students to discuss the ongoing investigation.

The panel accepted the member's resignation from the College and his undertaking not to seek reinstatement of his Certificates of Qualification and Registration for two years from the date of the panel's order.

The decision of the panel appears on the College's public register.


Member: Jon Jeffery Staples
Registration Number: 256687
Decision: Suspension in Abeyance

A panel of the Discipline Committee held a public hearing on June 2, 2004 into allegations of professional misconduct against Jon Jeffery Staples. Staples was certified to teach in 1990 and was employed by the Peel District School Board. Staples was present at the hearing and was represented by counsel.

Staples faced five allegations of professional misconduct related to boundary violations with a 13-year-old female student.

The panel heard that during the 1999-2000 school year, Staples engaged in inappropriate behaviour toward a 13-year-old female student. The behaviour included writing her an inappropriate letter and note, making inappropriate comments to her, permitting her to accompany him to his home during school hours to return a board game, telephoning her at home and requesting that she meet him, and meeting her and her mother at a restaurant.

A memorandum of agreement was submitted to the panel in which Staples pleaded guilty to the allegations.

Under the terms of the memorandum of agreement, Staples must complete a course of instruction, at his own expense and by a practitioner approved by the Registrar, on maintaining appropriate boundaries in student-teacher relations. The course of instruction is to take place within 90 days of the ratification of the agreement. Staples also agreed, on completion of the course of instruction, to provide the Registrar with a written report from the practitioner indicating whether the member is able to return to teaching without causing risk of harm or injury to students or the school community.

The member also agreed to undergo two Teacher Performance Appraisals during the 2004-2005 school year, the results of which are to be provided to the Registrar.

The panel found Staples guilty of professional misconduct and ordered that his Certificates of Qualification and Registration be suspended for six months. The suspension will be waived provided the member meets the conditions set out in the memorandum of agreement.

The decision of the panel appears on the College's public register.


Member: Dan Craig Stuart
Registration Number: 456832
Decision: Suspension

A panel of the Discipline Committee held a public hearing on June 9, 2004 into allegations of professional misconduct against Dan Craig Stuart. Stuart was licensed to teach in 2002 and was employed as an occasional teacher by the District School Board of Niagara. Stuart did not attend the hearing nor was he represented by counsel.

Stuart faced five allegations of professional misconduct related to an inappropriate relationship with a female student.

The panel received a memorandum of agreement in which Stuart acknowledged that, during the 2002-2003 school year, he developed an unprofessional and inappropriate relationship with an 18-year-old female student. Stuart discussed personal issues with the student, including the breakdown of his marriage, told the student of his personal feelings for her, telephoned her, sent her e-mail and met with her off school property.

In May 2003 Stuart wrote to the student's parents acknowledging that he had made a mistake in developing a personal relationship with the student, that his inappropriate conduct showed disrespect for her, her parents and the school and that, although his intentions were good, the consequences of his actions were unquestionably bad.

In July 2003 Stuart admitted in a letter to the school principal that, after agreeing to end his relationship with the student, he had continued to communicate with her and meet with her.

In the memorandum of agreement, Stuart pleaded guilty to the allegations and accepted that they constitute professional misconduct.

The panel found Stuart guilty of professional misconduct and ordered his Certificates of Qualification and Registration be suspended for 12 months from the date of the hearing.

The panel also ordered that, before returning to teaching, Stuart must complete, at his own expense, a course of instruction by a practitioner approved by the College Registrar regarding appropriate boundaries in student-teacher relations. He must also provide a report from the practitioner indicating whether he is able to return to full-time classroom duties without putting students or the school community at risk.

The decision of the panel appears on the College's public register.


Member: James Grant Tilston
Registration Number: 353015
Decision: Revoked

A panel of the Discipline Committee held a public hearing on May 4, 2004 into allegations of professional misconduct against James Grant Tilston of Merced, California. Tilston was certified to teach in 1977. Tilston did not attend the hearing nor was he represented by counsel.

Tilston faced six allegations of professional misconduct related to indecent assault.

In the absence of the member, the discipline panel entered a plea of not guilty on Tilston's behalf.

The panel received court documents in evidence that Tilston was convicted in December 2003 of indecent assault of a 13-year-old girl under the Criminal Code. The assault occurred in Ontario in 1981.

The panel heard that the victim did not report the abuse when it occurred, but as an adult went to the police when she learned that Tilston would begin teaching in her area.

The panel found Tilston guilty of professional misconduct and ordered his Certificates of Qualification and Registration revoked.

The decision of the panel appears on the College's public register.