Assault charges withdrawn against Kitchener teacher accused of taping students
Assault charges against a former Kitchener teacher accused of taping students with masking tape were withdrawn in court on Wednesday.
The teacher’s lawyer confirmed to CTV News the charges were dropped at the request of the Crown after she agreed to enter into a common law peace bond – a court order used to keep someone from committing or recommitting a breach of the peace.
She also resigned from the Waterloo Region District School Board, the lawyer said in an email.
CRIMINAL INVESTIGATION
In November, police announced they had charged the 53-year-old woman with two counts of assault after an investigation into “allegations she taped two children with masking tape while in the classroom.”
The alleged incidents happened at Alpine Public School in Kitchener.
The criminal investigation started on Oct. 22, after police received a report from Family and Children’s Services of Waterloo Region.
The families of both children spoke to CTV News Kitchener in the fall. One family said the teacher taped their child to his desk. The second child said the teacher used tape as a punishment on him three times.
“The first time she taped my legs, the second time she taped my arms and the last time she taped me on my mouth, under my mask,” the child told CTV News in October.
“I don’t feel safe and my kids don’t feel safe,” the child’s mother said.
SCHOOL BOARD RESPONDS
CTV News reached out to Waterloo Region District School Board. The board would not answer questions in an on-camera interview and instead posted a video statement to social media late Wednesday afternoon.
Director of Education jeewan chanicka appears in a video entitled "WRDSB statement regarding student safety" posted to YouTube on May 18, 2022. (WRDSB/Youtube)
“The WRDSB cannot comment on the court ruling,” Director of Education jeewan chanicka said in part in the statement. “What we will say and what we do need to say is that we know that there will be some parents in our community, especially parents of Black, Indigenous and racialized students who are wondering who will ensure the safety of their children when they send them off to school.”
chanicka said the board is committed to addressing systemic racism and ensuring the safety and well-being of students.
CTV News reached out to the families involved. One of them declined to comment. The other did not reply before airtime.
Correction
A previous version of this story said a common law peace bond was a court order used to keep someone from committing or recommitting a crime. It has been updated to clarify that it is an order used to keep someone from committing or recommitting a breach of the peace.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Brown campaign accuses Conservative party of acting in favour of Poilievre after disqualification from leadership race
Patrick Brown has been disqualified from the federal Conservative leadership race, after ballots have already begun to be mailed out, and his campaign is fighting back against what it calls anonymous allegations.

Express Entry draws resume, but long wait takes toll on immigration applicants
Canada's immigration department is restarting all Express Entry draws for immigration applications Wednesday, after pausing the program 18 months ago during the pandemic.
Woman who was set on fire on Toronto bus has died, police confirm
A woman who was set on fire while on a Toronto bus in a random attack last month has died, police say.
Parents of boy, 2, among dead at Fourth of July parade shooting
Aiden McCarthy's photo was shared across Chicago-area social media groups in the hours after the July 4 parade shooting in Highland Park, accompanied by pleas to help identify the 2-year-old who had been found at the scene bloodied and alone and to reunite him with his family. On Tuesday, friends and authorities confirmed that the boy's parents, Kevin McCarthy, 37, and Irina McCarthy, 35, were among seven people killed in the tragedy.
'We're all really shaken up': Father recounts reuniting with missing daughter as U.S. man is charged
The father of the Edmonton girl who was missing for nine days said he was getting ready to post another update on Facebook last Saturday when police knocked on his door.
Assembly of First Nations delegates reject resolution calling for chief's suspension
An emergency resolution before the Assembly of First Nations annual meeting to reaffirm the suspension of National Chief RoseAnne Archibald has failed in Vancouver.
Jayland Walker was handcuffed when his body arrived at the medical examiner's office: autopsy report
Jayland Walker was handcuffed behind his back when his body arrived at the coroner's office to be processed as part of the investigation into the officers who shot and killed him in Akron last week, according to a medical examiner's report that was reviewed by CNN.
Two young ER doctors quit Montreal jobs, blaming Quebec's broken health-care system and Bill 96
Two young emergency room doctors, raised and trained in Montreal, are leaving their jobs after only two years to move back to Toronto – and they say the Quebec health-care model and Bill 96 are to blame.
Tamara Lich breached conditions by appearing with fellow convoy leader: Crown
The Crown is seeking to revoke bail for Tamara Lich, a leader of the 'Freedom Convoy,' after she appeared alongside a fellow organizer in an alleged breach of her conditions.