Whistle-blowers always received much harsher treatment from government and their agencies, because it threatens the status-quo. Thus whistle-blower legislation if any, are weak and do not protect the whistle-blower. Probably why WikiLeaks emerged, and perhaps a WikiLeaks should exist to take care of provincial/state and local municipalities.

Apparently from the comments, the unionists are out in force, protecting their turf, and calling it another witch hunt. Some are making light of it, by the lies of the students, and others are defending the system, by raising Harris once again. Rather amusing, defending achievement increases, calling down Harris, but was it not the Harris government that actually made the changes to the Ontario public education system, to increase achievement among other things?  The so-called achievement would not have happen, if it were not for the Harris government in the first place.

Perhaps this is the reason why hand-held devices of students that are capable of taking pictures, video, recording are discourage or even banned in some districts. Perhaps the recent changes allowing smart phones and other devices in some districts, may have happen, to discouraged bad behaviour of teachers. After all a picture is worth a thousand words, as well as an audio recording is when a teacher is calling a student or students,  ?retarded,? ?hooker,? ?pole dancers,? ?slut? and ?whore?.

Perhaps camera surveillance, including the classrooms should be in order, to keep everyone honest. Works very well in my corner of the world, where accusations within the school, can be determined very quickly to be unfounded. And bad behaviour of students mostly, can be taken care of and it does keep everyone honest and better behaved. Pity though, in Ontario there seems to be a problem where some schools are not wired in the first place, and prevents the digital technology forming as part of the solution or solutions.It allows the unions and the other parts to protect their turf, as well as ensuring to make it very difficult for the whistle blowers, management, parents and students when teachers act badly.

Nothing makes more angry, when the unionists blame the students, and use it as their reason why schools remain nameless, as well as to retain the current transparency system, that hides the actions of teachers under a protective cover of union protection. Perhaps it is the reason why teachers in the classrooms, are not standing up, acting as whistle-blowers on the lousy curriculum and conditions of schools. They probably pay a dearer price than Mr. Black, because the teachers would be accusing the teachers faculties and boards as well as unions, damaging their professional image.

Nancy,

Let’s make sure that while people are making accusations, that we are basing them on accurate information:

a)  The Ontario College of Teachers is NOT the union.  The teacher’s unions in Ontario are OSSTF, OECTA, and so on.  The College of Teachers was a secondary layer intended to police the teachers with the majority of board member coming from outside the teaching profession.  The entire article you are quoting from makes reference to the OCT, not the unions.  So it is inaccurate to say that this is a case of the teacher’s unions protecting bad teachers.

b)  There is an Ontario law making it illegal to photograph or record images, etc of minors.  We cannot even include student’s photographs in our yearbook without the express written consent of the parents.  It would be impossible to record a teacher in the classroom without including students.

c)  The Mike Harris education reforms were INTENDED to make the education system more difficult and raise the bar.  The actual curriculum documents that were released by the government have created the greatest decline in achievement in Ontario’s history.  This ‘tough’ new curriculum was the Harris government’s single greatest piece of propaganda.

d)  Nowhere in the articles cited did I see the College of Teachers, let alone the unions ‘blaming’ the students.

Read the comments, and perhaps it is the reason why the Star in today’s follow-up article, does not have the comment button.

http://www.thestar.com/news/canada/article/1062989—predator-teachers-students-ruined-by-teacher-sex-assaults#article

“The discipline decisions are made by committees comprised of teachers elected to the College?s governing council and members of the public. The college has three main committees that sit in judgment ? investigation, discipline and fitness to practise. Typically, a three-person panel has two teachers and one public member.

The Star found that most teachers on the panels were previously members of a local bargaining unit of a teachers? union.

The panels hear cases, decide if punishment (anything from an admonishment to revocation of licence) is necessary and determine if the teacher?s name should be published.

If Ryan Geekie was your son or daughter?s teacher you would not know that a very serious investigation was carried out into his conduct.

You would have no way of knowing that a summary report the College published in April 2010 about a teacher who used profane language was related to 36-year-old Hamilton teacher Ryan Geekie.

It took time but the Star was able to identify Geekie. We were then able to obtain a copy of the College?s original allegations and an agreed statement of facts between Geekie and the College.”

http://www.thestar.com/news/canada/article/1062168—meet-your-teachers?bn=1#article

Sure appears the majority of positions within the Ontario College, are former members of the local bargaining unit.

As for the comments, it sure appears that the unionists have come out in full force, using blame as their favourite tactic.

All this thanks to Dalton McGuinty….up until a few hours ago there was a link at the gov’t MOE site to all of the wonderful changes proposed by the McGuinty gov’t to the OCOT - don’t bother looking now - it’s gone.

Reading through Hansard here gives good indication of who was opposed to the changes to the OCOT and who supported it - hint, no surprises there.

http://www.ontla.on.ca/web/committee-proceedings/committee_transcripts_details.do?locale=en&BillID=389&ParlCommID=7430&Date=2006-05-08&Business=Bill+78,+Education+Statute+Law+Amendment+Act+(Student+Performance),+2006&DocumentID=20384#P221_47970

And as I was on a SEAC back then here’s a little something from a report on the planned changes
http://www.ldao.ca/documents/SEAC/Student Performance Bill passes Jun 06.pdf

?The Ontario College of Teachers as a True Professional Body
The McGuinty government believes it is time to revitalize and
depoliticize the Ontario College of Teachers (OCT) as a true professional
body. Teachers deserve the privilege of self-regulation. The benefits of a
successful College to Ontario students should be obvious: highly skilled,
motivated teachers who are held in high regard by the public at large.
The amendments to the Ontario College of Teachers Act, 1996, change the
governance structure of the OCT to depoliticize the College and, along with
complementary amendments to the College regulations, have a majority of
classroom teachers on its council. In return for teachers having the privilege
and responsibility of self-regulation, we are strengthening the College?s duty
to serve the public interest.
Changes resulting from the amendments to the Act and the regulations
include:
- Adding six elected teacher positions to the OCT?s Council -
normalizing the College by having self-regulation by the
professionals it represents
- Ensuring that all teacher representatives on the Council are working
classroom teachers
- Establishing provisions that would prohibit Council membership for
representatives of specific organizations
- Creating a new Public Interest Committee of non-OCT members to
advise the College Council on matters relating to the Council?s duty
to serve the public interest
- Every Council member having a duty to serve and protect the public
interest, and before taking up office, swear an oath
- Reducing the maximum number of years that a member can serve on
Council from ten to seven consecutive years, increasing turnover and
bringing new and different ideas and perspectives
- Ensuring an open, fair and transparent elections process that will
increase voter participation and encourage teachers to play an
active part in the governance and regulation of their profession
- Affirming the College?s duty to ensure its registration process is
fair and transparent.
These measures are among the strongest conflict of interest provisions of
any professional college in Ontario and none of them existed under the
previous government.
Under the previous government, the College of Teachers was unduly
politicized ? with negative results. In the last College election, a mere four
per cent of teachers bothered to cast a vote, the second consecutive decline
in voter turnout, indicating a profound loss of confidence by teachers
themselves in the College.
These amendments support the government?s ?Excellence for All? commitment
to ?turn the Ontario College of Teachers into a professional body that sets the highest standards for the profession and earns the respect of teachers and parents.?

“a)  The Ontario College of Teachers is NOT the union.  The teacher?s unions in Ontario are OSSTF, OECTA, and so on.  The College of Teachers was a secondary layer intended to police the teachers with the majority of board member coming from outside the teaching profession.  The entire article you are quoting from makes reference to the OCT, not the unions.  So it is inaccurate to say that this is a case of the teacher?s unions protecting bad teachers.”

it was never intended to “police” the teachers Wayne, and that balance of union rep. to outside teaching rep. all changed under McGuinty’s watch, and pandering to gain favour from the teacher unions is exactly why.

Harris raised the bar for students, which some teachers couldn’t reach is more like it.

That it’s been lowered and we kids still can’t get past basic arithmetic tells us what exactly?

Chuck,

You may be remembering it a little differently than what actually happened.  Here is one quote, “The Ontario College of Teachers is the largest professional self-regulatory body in Canada with 200,000 members. It was founded in 1996 to license and regulate teaching in the public interest. The College ensures the province?s teachers are qualified and competent, and that students are safe in their care.”  Sounds an awful lot like policing to me.  You may have also forgotten the huge uproar from the teacher’s unions about how they were already policing their members and didn’t want to lose that authority to another body.  Don’t believe me?  Ask your friend Doug.

“Harris raised the bar for students,”  You bought the propaganda.  I was shocked at the loopholes and extremely basic levels of expectations from the time the curriculum documents were first published.  Curriculum documents published AFTER 1998/99 all have more detailed, exact and comprehensive lists of expectations than those first published.

I know that the public perception was that Harris was going to raise the bar.  However, not one teacher I was working with at the time the new curriculum was rolled out was very impressed with the ‘tough’ new curriculum when we saw it.

The only place where teachers thought it was too tough was the elimination of the traditional ‘Basic’ level.  Since the 1970’s, Ontario has had three levels of courses.  Harris shaved that down to 2.  The initial curriculum was expecting students with severe learning disabilities to take the same courses as those bound for college.  In other words, Harris got tough on those least able to cope, and gave the rest a cakewalk.

I see this issue as yet another example of the overall radical left-wing assault in society in general.  You find the same type of “professional” behaviour in the world of medicine, or the heretofore mainstream churches (has anyone read “Goodbye, Good Men” by Michael S. Rose?), or any of our social infrastructure organizations, really.  There is a great twisting of logic, an effort to demonize anyone complaining of such behaviour, and a huge push to convince all of us that this is, “the new normal”.  It may be new (well….it has been creeping ever forward since the late 60s), but it will never be normal.

A,

Just trying to clarify the type of “professional” behaviour to which you are referring. Sometimes, the conversations jump off onto tangents and I just wanted to make sure I knew exactly what behaviour you were referencing before commenting.

stephen

Mr. Hurley, please read Mr. Ng’s comments.  Not always, but oftentimes I see Mr Ng twist, ridicule, and lecture (as if no other blogger can quite grasp what’s been written); then reread the post for this blog.  I think that your querie will be answered fairly clearly.
I have personally come to the conclusion that some bloggers are here mainly try to discredit this site in order to maintain the status quo, regardless of the damage it’s doing to our society; the huge cost with which it’s burdening taxpayers; and the children’s lives it’s ruining.
Also, A, with all due respect, I think that this situation is ‘normal’; however, it’s unethical.

Right. Ok, so we’re talking about the idea that the College (and other colleges) are protecting the wrong-doers, and not talking about the actions of the wrong-doers themselves.

Just wanted to be clear.

I was at a gathering last evening, made up mostly of teachers, and this series was the number one topic of discussion.

Please tell us more, Mr. Hurley.  What did the teachers have to say?

My guests are just arriving for dinner (my birthday dinner!), but I will write some details from our conversation, and some thoughts about the Star series in general. Not much talk about the College, more about the teachers involved, and the spirit behind the series!

Dear Readers,

I’m sorry if my comments were misconstrued.  I was not trying minimize the damage done by these teachers.  I was hoping to prevent this thread going off target.  Nancy was trying to turn this into another anti-union criticism.

To be blunt - the unions traditionally did not do a good job protecting the public.  After ten years, it would be apparent that the college has also failed in this mandate.  Obviously something has to change.

Wayne - the OCOT was NEVER intended to “police” teachers.  That was the spin that the unions used to discredit the development of the arms-length body.

You know it, I know -  no, your comments hold no double meaning or confusion.

Bev’s right.

I agree with Chuck, but someone should tell the Star. Throughout their reporting, they have referred to OCOT as “the watchdog”

You may all be correct.  However, as far as I know, ‘investigation’ is a police activity.  They also have a quasi-judicial system.

http://www.oct.ca/about/

Anti-union criticism?  All one has to do is to object to one of the goals of the union, or question the union’s objectivity, to be branded as anti-union.

“Three committees of the Ontario College of Teachers sit in judgment when allegations are raised of teacher misconduct. The committees are made up of licenced teachers elected by the profession and members of the public appointed by the province. Three member panels hear each case, typically two teachers and one member of the public. Most teachers were previously members of a teacher?s union bargaining committee.”

http://www.thestar.com/news/canada/article/1062171

The foxes are indeed guarding the hen house, as well as the coyotes who represent the non-teachers, the members of the public. The members of the public have connections to the public education system. This morning, and I am surprised that the Star did not mentioned it, that the public members do indeed have strong connections to the public education system,

Just two of them -

1. “Smart has been involved in school councils and forums over the years, acting in various capacities, including treasurer, secretary and chair. She is currently active at her son?s high school council. These involvements have kept her in touch with both curriculum changes and school events.”

http://www.oct.ca/council/members/smart.aspx?lang=en-CA

2. “From 1982 to 2003, Chartrand held posts as the Manager of Finance and Computer Services and interim Superintendent of Business with the Carleton Roman Catholic Separate School Board, Regional Superintendent of Business and Finance with the Ministry of Education?s eastern office, and Comptroller of Finance and Executive Financial Advisor with the Ottawa-Carleton DSB. Prior to working in education, she was an auditor with Touche Ross & Co. Chartered Accountants.
Since 2004, she has served as the Director, Administrative Services and Specialized Education Centres (pre-school centres) for the Centre Psychosocial d?Ottawa, a mental health organization for francophone children, youth and families.  As well, Chartrand has been a member of provincial ministry committees regarding dispute resolution and special education, a president of school councils, president of Douance Ontario, a program for gifted French students, and a long-serving member of church committees in Ottawa”
http://www.oct.ca/council/members/chartrand.aspx?lang=en-CA

Coyotes and foxes, just as smart looking out for their best interests in nature, as the coyotes and foxes at the Ontario College of Teachers. Ensuring the good and the bad teachers are protected, as well as protecting the professional image of teachers. Only where emotional and verbal abuse have lower standards, than the high standards imposed by the nanny state over parents. Where even homeschoolers are not safe from the powerful arms of the school boards, by using taxpayers monies to imposed court rulings forcing homeschoolers to attend a public school to parents who verbally abused their children, where the immediate consequences the children are removed from the home. For a teacher, the standards are lower, after all parents do not have any powerful institutes looking after their best interests, unlike the unions and the Ontario College of Teachers.

“At a disciplinary hearing Geekie was found guilty of professional misconduct in relation to most of these allegations after pleading no contest. He was reprimanded, suspended for a month and directed to take a course on ?boundary issues.?

Any parent would have the full weight of the justice system, and the public institutes ensuring the parent is branded guilty, before a defense can by mounted in a court of law. No doubt, suspension for one month, and order to take a course on boundary issues, is a cake walk, compared to the whistle blower who was suspended for two years. The one who called his students degrading names, and in the process cause emotional harm to his students, that may very well leave emotional scars for some of the students, has the cake walk compared to the whistle blower who wanted to report bad behaviour of teachers.

Foxes and coyotes looking out their own best interest, using the political, power and authority that the public has granted them, to ensure outcomes that serves the best interests of the public education system, first before the public’s best interests.

Yes, regarding the teachers’ unions I agree, Nancy—we’re supposed to like them?!?

Bev, the unions in this country, especially the public sector unions, have a bigger problem to deal with - a federal member’s bill to open up the financial records of unions. Probably not a problem for the private unions, but it will be a big problem for the public sector unions, especially the teachers’ unions.

One may consider the wolf as the animal representing those who cross swords with the status-quo. The whistle blowers are the wolves, and like in nature, have paid a dearer price for the negative images imposed by others. Even the coyotes and foxes have better images than the wolf, as to who is more dangerous, and apparently the whistle blower is more dangerous to the status-quo than the coyotes and foxes who are there to serve the best interests of the status-quo, rather than the public’s best interest.

Nancy, I just finished reading in the Globe about the federal member’s bill which will require unions to open up their books. This is going to be really intersting, so I’m going to borrow from one of the comments, ‘pass the popcorn’!

Interesting, an understatement. I can’t wait for the unionists of the teachers’ unions, who always stated, it would never happen to their unions., based on the law. My response has always been, the law can be change. And it sure looks like it with this crop in Ottawa, an entertaining war of words,  for one and all sitting in the peanut gallery.

“The longtime chair of discipline at the Ontario College of Teachers is the co-author of a soft porn book for teens that chronicles the sexy adventures of Grade 9 girls and boys at a mythical Toronto high school.”
http://www.thestar.com/news/canada/article/1064763—star-investigation-teacher-watchdog-writes-soft-porn-for-teens

His response: “Tremblay, in a written response to questions from the Star, said his work as an author is separate from his ?public interest? work at the College. He said The Sexteens book ?is meant to empower teenagers, to encourage them to be strong and resist or avoid peer pressure.? Tremblay said the book has ?been endorsed by parents and educators.? He did not identify the parents and educators.

Tremblay has been chair of the watchdog’s discipline committee since 2006 and was first elected to the College’s council two years before that, said College spokesman Brian Jamieson. The Sexteens was published in 2008.

His wife, Marie-Ange Gagnon, and another person (Michael Tremblay) are listed as authors. It is published by their company, Glowing Shadow Productions.”

“Asked about Tremblay’s book and his watchdog role, Jamieson provided two short responses to questions from the Star.

Tremblay is ?a member of council and chair of discipline and his writing does not have an impact on his ability to act in the public interest and there is no evidence of such,? he said.”

This one is a fox and a coyote at the same time. Corruption is high up, and not a single teacher is speaking up, but only to defend the status-quo.

I’m in a union.  The bulk of our money is raised through union dues paid by members.  What, exactly are we hoping to find when we examine their books?  That money raised is used to advance the interests of the members?  Support causes the members want supported?

I’m not really a hardcore union guy, however the near hatred of anything “union” displayed by some folks here is a little curious.

Keep in mind that unions come in all sorts of shapes, sizes, degree of militancy, etc.  Unless and until we know which unions are guilty of what the “unions are bad” attitude is pretty dubious.

The only unions that can afford to have a high degree of militancy, run political campaigns smearing the parties that they do not like, and support questionable causes, are the public sector unions. The private union bill is not directed at the private unions, but at the public sector unions who think they are untouchable and playing political gamesmanship on the public’s purse strings as well as holding the public hostage in times of strikes. It is probably why, the public sector unions’ big guns are in Ottawa, lobbying in the backrooms to do everything possible to stopped this bill. Meanwhile, silence on the end of the private unions.

It is not hatred, but the self-entitlement of public sector unions that irks people, especially the posties and the comparison to their physical labour to the labours of a miner or someone that has shucking clams for the pass 10 hours.

“ETFO is a leader among teachers’ federations on equity issues, particularly in its support for women’s participation and leadership. The ETFO Executive has adopted this definition of equity: 

“ETFO recognizes that we live in a society characterized by individual and systemic discrimination against particular groups.  Within this context, ETFO defines equity as fairness achieved through proactive measures which result in equality for all.”

ETFO members are involved in their union, in education, in the political world, and in the world around them.  ETFO members are dedicated to making this a better world for their colleagues, for their students, and for others in their communities here and around the world.”
http://www.etfo.ca/advocacyandaction/pages/default.aspx

However, I did not asked any teacher union to advocate on my behalf and my children, and that the advocacy may not be the best interests of my children. Why? Their advocacy may have a direct impact on my child’s education and the number of doors that are open to their future. Unlike a car manufactured by the hands of employees who belong to a private union. It is in the best interests of the private unions, to produced a quality product, since their job is dependent on how many car units sold. Unlike the public sector unions, who do have any such qualms in not providing quality services for the public, at the lowest costs, because it is often not the best interests of the unions to do so.

It is only fair to have the financial books open, as they do with the register charities. As the MP stated, it is time to have the unions open up to the same scrutiny as the charities are. And for that one, I agree, and would be of great interest to me and the public, the percentage of dues going to political lobbying and campaigns like the little intensive one happening in Ontario. Quite frankly, I am tired of the silly commercials of Ontario, and it makes my province’s teachers unions look like saints and proper custodians of their member dues.

Does the “self-entitlement of public sector unions” irk people?  Which people?  The majority of people?  Hosts on rant radio and those who follow them?

I have all sorts of friends, union and non-union, and, quite frankly they don’t spend much time worrying about it.

As to those overpaid “posties” how would it make clam shuckers and miners (who actually do pretty well) feel better by paying posties less?

As it is a postie earns in the mid-twenties per hour plus benefits, hardly an extravagant living.

Trying to create a race to the bottom for the worker bees hardly makes for a better society.

  Imagine the glory if we all made minimum wage

Interesting story on the chair of the Ontario College of Teachers? discipline committee.

http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/toronto/story/2011/10/05/ontario-teachers-discipline-chair-resigns.html

As for the latest installment of the OCT, the chairman resigned from his position. and one wonders who will be next. Whoever is the new government, should take the opportunity to clean house, stopped letting the foxes and coyotes in the hen house.

In the National Post: “Imagine what students must think of all this. Ontario no longer has official ?zero tolerance? for student misbehaviour ? the sort of approach that sees 10-year-olds suspended from school for doodling a gun or writing a violent story. The province ditched the idea after it became apparent minority students were being disproportionately affected ? which maybe wasn?t the greatest reason, but hey, whatever works.

Still, Ontario public schools are overtly kind and gentle places. In June, a Grade 12 student was sent home from a Whitby high school while officials ?investigated? some politically incorrect videos he?d submitted as an assignment (apparently without sanction) and then posted on YouTube. In February, a Grade 8 student in suburban Ottawa was suspended for fighting a bully who, he says, tormented him mercilessly. (Just curl up into a ball, son, and let him tire himself out. There?s a good boy.) Yet the people who pass judgment on these kids operate with functional impunity.

Meanwhile, some kinds of discipline have simply been abandoned ? witness widespread support for bringing prayer sessions in-house at a Toronto middle school on grounds that students given time off to go to mosque weren?t coming back. There was no evidence anyone had even considered punishing the truants.

For all these reasons, good teachers should be howling for more accountability at every level. It can only make their lives, and their students? lives, easier and more pleasant.”
http://news.nationalpost.com/2011/10/06/chris-selley-teachers-colleges-disgrace-is-leniency-not-sexy-book/

At the end of the article, it is suggested that the teachers should go on strike, and it be the first time that they would be doing it for their students.

# 6
Decision Summary
As published in the December 2005 edition of Professionally Speaking.
Member: Julia Ann Webb
Registration Number: 252725
Decision: Certificates of Qualification and Registration Suspended with Conditions, Reprimand and Counselling
?
Webb faced six allegations of professional misconduct related to a sexual relationship with an 18-year-old male high school student. ?

On June 25, 1994, Webb and the student had sexual intercourse following a party.
Webb continued the relationship, taking the student for drives in her car and engaging in at least one other act of sexual intercourse in mid-July 1994, following which the relationship between them terminated. ?
http://www.oct.ca/investigations_hearings/decision_summaries/dec_05/dec05_webb.aspx?lang=en-CA

# 7
Canada not such a nice place to grow up?” - The WHO ranks Canada in the bottom third of developing countries when it comes to bullying!
International & Canadian Experts Available for Interviews
TORONTO, May 26 /CNW/ -
May 27th and 28th leading Canadian and International experts will gather
in Hamilton, Ontario at McMaster University, to understand why and
discuss next steps in violence prevention, including: world leading
Canadian research on neuroscience, mental health, interpersonal
relationships, and anti-bullying strategies that span infancy to
adolescence.
In Canadian schools, bullying happens every 7.5 minutes in the playgrounds and every 25 minutes in the classroom. These statistics paint a very alarming and ‘un-Canadian’ picture of childhood in Canada. Unfortunately, we are not the only ones who are noticing.

http://www.newswire.ca/en/releases/archive/May2010/26/c6691.html

# 8
Principal won’t face discipline in feces incident
Published On Tue Jun 19 2007
Maria Pantalone, a Toronto principal convicted of assault after throwing feces at a child, will not face disciplinary action from the Ontario College of Teachers.
“There’s not going to be any hearing,” her lawyer, Michael Caroline, said in an interview yesterday.
The college, the governing body for the province’s teachers, normally conducts its own, preliminary investigation after a member is found guilty of an offence to determine if the matter could amount to professional misconduct.
“Neither the Toronto District School Board or the Ontario College of Teachers are proceeding with any disciplinary action,” Caroline added. “... Upon reading the reasons of the court, they were satisfied that the requirement of potential danger to students was non-existent.”

http://www.thestar.com/News/article/226840

# 9
Ontario Teacher Punished for Speaking Out on Reinstated Sexual Offenders
?

?
By Patrick B. Craine
ONTARIO, June 17, 2009 (LifeSiteNews.com) ? The Ontario College of Teachers (OCT) has taken action against a retired teacher and former OCT Council member after he revealed that the organization habitually reinstates the teaching licenses of convicted sexual offenders.

http://www.lifesitenews.com/ldn/2009/jun/09061713.html

# 10
Why Canada can’t stop bullies
November 19, 2009
Noor Javed
STAFF REPORTER

Daniel Sebben was just 13 when the taunts began. Day after day, for the next three years, the Newmarket high school student faced homophobic slurs, insults and verbal abuse from a group of six boys.
He would come home upset, confused and fearful of what they might do to him the next day, said mom Karen Sebben?.

http://www.parentcentral.ca/parent/newsfeatures/article/727868—why-canada-can-t-stop-bullies

Ten Reasons to Be concerned about the Ontario College of Tecahers.
# 1
Families claim bullying, sue board
News
By BILL HENRY SUN TIMES STAFF

Four families who say their children were bullied and abused by teachers at Bluewater schools -and in one case also by students -have filed multimillion dollar lawsuits.
The similar statements of claim, for a total of $35 million in damages, were all filed Aug. 4 at Ontario Superior Court in Owen Sound. They allege the four students were repeatedly harassed, tormented and physically and emotionally abused.
Each child and each set of parents is claiming more than $4 million in total damages against each defendant.
The Sun Times has chosen not to publish the names of the students, teachers, board officials and others named in the suits to protect the alleged victims.
The allegations date back to the 2007 school year at Holland- Chatsworth school, 2008 at Hanover Heights school and 2009 at St. Vincent-Euphrasia in Meaford.

http://www.owensoundsuntimes.com/ArticleDisplay.aspx?e=2781729

# 2
School bullying still not a priority for trustees: MacDonald
By MOIRA MACDONALD, Toronto Sun
Last Updated: June 29, 2010 8:09pm

School?s out but Corina Morrison, co-founder of the London Anti-Bullying Coalition (London ABC), is urging parents to do their homework in advance of fall trustee elections.
?What I want parents to do is educate themselves. I want them to be more aware of what?s going on out there in their school system ? and I want parents to demand more of their trustees,? Morrison told me over the phone Monday.
Morrison often gives parents looking for help a crash course in School System 101 ? who to talk to, how to talk to them, who their trustee is and how the trustee might help.
She talks about the difference between conflict ? ordinary disagreements and misunderstandings that crop up between people ? and bullying, a conscious and repeated use of power over someone in a weaker position for the bully?s personal satisfaction.

http://www.torontosun.com/comment/columnists/moira_macdonald/2010/06/29/14559571.html

# 3
Boy’s death raises spectre of bullying
BRYTEN BROWN: Visitors to a Facebook tribute page say he was a victim of bullies at school
By JENNIFER O’BRIEN, The London Free Press
Last Updated: May 12, 2010 3:30pm

Bryten Brown died on Saturday. His family is asking that donations be directed to the London Anti-Bullying Coalition.
The brutality of bullying has surfaced, with the grieving family of a 13-year-old St. Thomas boy directing memorial donations to an anti-bullying group?.

http://www.lfpress.com/news/london/2010/05/12/13916866.html

# 4
Ottawa school defends response to alleged sex attack
Last Updated: Saturday, May 29, 2010 | 4:40 PM ET CBC News
Officials of Ashbury College, above, deny allegations that teachers inappropriately handled a student’s sexual assault complaint. (CBC)
Ottawa’s Ashbury College says its teachers responded in a timely and appropriate manner to an alleged assault on a school trip three years ago.
Three students of the private school, as well as the school’s headmaster and four teachers, were named in a lawsuit filed by a 16-year-old boy and his parents in November 2009.
The lawsuit states that in 2007, two students allegedly pinned the youth to his bed, while another sexually assaulted him and a fourth allegedly videotaped the attack while on a school trip in Boston, Mass.
No further details of the alleged assault have been released.
A statement of defence filed in Ontario’s Superior Court of Justice by the school Friday afternoon defends its teachers, saying they handled the incident in a professional manner, co-operating fully with police.

http://www.cbc.ca/canada/ottawa/story/2010/05/29/ott-lawsuit-defence-ashbury-college.html

# 5 Decision Summary
As published in the September 2003 edition of Professionally Speaking.
Member’s Name: George Fred Abdallah
Registration Number: 257688
Decision: Suspended with Conditions on Certificates
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Abdallah pleaded guilty to all the allegations except those charging that he engaged in conduct that would reasonably be regarded by members as disgraceful, dishonourable or unprofessional and that he engaged in conduct unbecoming a member.
The panel found that Abdallah had been convicted of sexual assault and unlawful confinement and that he had been sentenced to serve a total of two years less a day in prison. The charges involved two adult women who had no connection with the school system.
The panel in its decision noted that the presiding judge in the criminal case: did not accept as true Abdallah’s account that he had done nothing against the consent of the complainants; and that the judge found that Abdallah showed no remorse.

http://www.oct.ca/investigations_hearings/decision_summaries/sept_03/sept_abdallah.aspx?lang=en-CA