A former Calgary elementary school teacher faced a hefty fine and faced the loss of her teaching certificate after a disciplinary committee found she had a sexual and emotional relationship with a 14-year-old boy.

A former Calgary elementary school teacher received a hefty fine and faced the loss of her teaching certificate after a disciplinary committee found she had a sexual and emotional relationship with a 14-year-old boy.

On March 16, 2018, an Alberta Teachers’ Association conduct committee found the Grade 1 and music teacher guilty on five counts of misconduct during the 2011-12 school year at a Calgary public school.

Distroscale

Due to a backlog by the association in releasing disciplinary decisions, the written decision was not provided to Postmedia until last month.

After hearing from the former student, his father, the student’s friend and several other witnesses at a hearing in Edmonton in January 2018, the committee found the teacher guilty of using marijuana with a student, allowing students to use illegal drugs in her presence, having sexual contact with a student, being in regular text and phone contact with the student and engaging in a relationship with the student outside of school.

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“Teachers who engage in deplorable activities with students cause significant harm to their victims and families,” the three-member committee wrote in its decision.

Fine higher than recommended

A publication ban imposed by a Calgary Court of Queen’s Bench judge on the identities of the teacher and the student prevents Postmedia from naming either.

Although a presenting officer recommended the teacher pay a $15,000 fine and lose her certificate and association membership, the committee said the “developmental damage” inflicted by the months-long sexual relationship merited the maximum fine for that charge.

The committee fined her $22,500, revoked her teachers’ association membership, and recommended the education minister cancel her teaching certificate.

“(The teacher) has not been apologetic and there is no evidence of her expressing any remorse related to any of the charges,” the committee concluded.

Records showed the two exchanged about 300 text messages and 700 phone calls between December 2011 and July 2012.

In 2012, counsellors reported the inappropriate teacher-student relationship to Calgary police when the boy disclosed it in a group therapy session. Police charged the woman with sexual assault and sexual contact with a child in 2014. The Crown stayed the charges in 2015 without providing a reason.

Documents obtained by a freedom of information request show Alberta Education Minister David Eggen revoked the teaching certificate of a woman found guilty of the same charges on the same decision date. Although teacher discipline hearings are open to the public, the ministry redacted teachers’ names in records of which teachers Eggen has decertified.

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‘Doobie cruises’ with teacher

The committee heard the boy felt isolated after moving to Calgary from the Edmonton area to live with his dad. The teacher, who did not instruct the student, offered to tutor the Grade 9 boy.

The relationship evolved into trips in the teacher’s vehicle to get fast food, and later, to buy liquor and cannabis. They would go on “doobie cruises” while smoking in her vehicle, a friend testified.

“There were moments that felt like we were living the plot of a movie, driving around smoking pot in our teacher’s car,” the friend testified.

The student said he and the teacher had sexual contact and intercourse in the back of her Astrovan, in her band room office while his friend stood lookout, and eventually, at his house.

The student has struggled with substance abuse since this time and said it affected his ability to have healthy relationships.

A Calgary police detective testified it was “unfortunate” the court case against the teacher did not proceed, because he believed police had assembled a case that would result in a conviction.