Assault charges withdrawn against Kitchener teacher accused of taping students
Assault charges against a former Kitchener teacher accused of taping students with masking tape were withdrawn in court on Wednesday.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
Doctors say capital gains tax changes will jeopardize their retirement. Is that true?
The Canadian Medical Association asserts the Liberals' proposed changes to capital gains taxation will put doctors' retirement savings in jeopardy, but some financial experts insist incorporated professionals are not as doomed as they say they are.
Something in the water? Canadian family latest to spot elusive 'Loch Ness Monster'
For centuries, people have wondered what, if anything, might be lurking beneath the surface of Loch Ness in Scotland. When Canadian couple Parry Malm and Shannon Wiseman visited the Scottish highlands earlier this month with their two children, they didn’t expect to become part of the mystery.
What do weight loss drugs mean for a diet industry built on eating less and exercising more?
Recent injected drugs like Wegovy and its predecessor, the diabetes medication Ozempic, are reshaping the health and fitness industries.
2 military horses that broke free and ran loose across London are in serious condition
Two military horses that bolted and ran miles through the streets of London after being spooked by construction noise and tossing their riders were in a serious condition and required operations, a British government official said Thursday.
'It was instant karma': Viral video captures failed theft attempt in Nanaimo, B.C.
Mounties in Nanaimo, B.C., say two late-night revellers are lucky their allegedly drunken antics weren't reported to police after security cameras captured the men trying to steal a heavy sign from a downtown business.
Fair in Ontario, flurries in Labrador: Weather systems make for an erratic spring
It's no secret that spring can be a tumultuous time for Canadian weather, and as an unseasonably mild El Nino winter gives way to summer, there's bound to be a few swings in temperature that seem out of the ordinary. From Ontario to the Atlantic, though, this week is about to feel a little erratic.
He replaced Mickey Mantle. Now baseball's oldest living major leaguer is turning 100
The oldest living former major leaguer, Art Schallock turns 100 on Thursday and is being celebrated in the Bay Area and beyond as the milestone approaches.
What a urologist wants you to know about male infertility
When opposite sex couples are trying and failing to get pregnant, the attention often focuses on the woman. That’s not always the case.
Made-in-Newfoundland vodka claims top prize at worldwide competition
A Newfoundland-made vodka has been named one of the world’s best by judges at this year’s World Vodka Awards.