Staff at a midtown Toronto elementary school are stepping up security after a former student-teacher reportedly managed to get inside a classroom, where he began smoking and refused to leave, prompting a school-wide lockdown.



It happened on Friday at Deer Park Public School in the Yonge Street and St. Clair Avenue West area. Parents from the school say a man who was previously a student-teacher there entered the building not just once but three separate times — and arrested twice.



Alice Taylor says her nine-year-old son was in the class when it happened.



"He was very, very upset," Taylor told CBC News. "He just wanted to get away from the school as quickly as he could. He didn't want to be there anymore."

Parents criticize lack of communication

Toronto police confirm a man was arrested at the school on Friday just after 3 p.m. Const. Craig Brister told CBC News police were also called about the man on Jan. 12.



He is currently being held on two charges relating to the possession of marijuana.



Taylor says the student-teacher had been at the school for three months previously and that she'd never noticed anything strange about him. By all accounts, she said, he is a "lovely, lovely person."



Instead her concern — along with that of other parents — is with what they say is the school's lack of communication about the details of the incidents.



Nicole Koteff has three children at the school and says the school hasn't been very forthcoming with details about the incidents. Instead, she says, she was getting information from her upset children.

'Mommy, we were locked in the office'

"Mommy, we were locked in the office," she says her five-year-old told her after the lockdown Friday.



Koteff says parents weren't told there was a problem with the former student-teacher showing up or if there was any danger to worry about.



"I would like to be able to know why is this person been banned so that I can prepare my son," she said. "We're operating in the dark and we shouldn't have to."



On Sunday, school's principal, Bill Waldman, sent a letter to parents saying security staff will be in place Monday morning and that he will also be reviewing supervision schedules to make sure staff are present at entry and exit doors at specific times throughout the day.



"I want to say that we understand you and your children were upset by this incident as you expect our schools to be safe places. We share that expectation," the letter states. All staff have been provided with a photo of the student teacher and are advised to contact the office immediately should he be seen on the grounds.

Social workers to be on hand Monday, school says

TDSB social work staff will also be available to assist with students' concerns, Waldman wrote.



The letter also adds the student-teacher has "never been threatening in any way" though the school doesn't take concerns about his repeated presence there lightly.



Taylor says she's heartened by the response and feels much better about her child returning to school Monday, but thinks the school should have done a better job of communicating to parents so that they could take the necessary steps to speak to their children — something she says she couldn't do with her son.



"We didn't have the information to say to him, 'Yes, it's being handled, yes, you're going to be okay and yes, you can go back to school and not be afraid."



The man is set to appear in court Monday morning.