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The principal of a Slave Lake elementary school must pay a $2,100 fine after a committee of teachers found her guilty of four counts of unprofessional conduct.

An Alberta Teachers’ Association conduct committee will also issue a letter of severe reprimand to Anastasia Jorquera, who is principal of St. Mary of the Lake Catholic school.

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“These are significant charges,” presenting officer Ian Stewardson told the three-member panel hearing the case in Edmonton Tuesday morning.

Jorquera pleaded guilty to sending inappropriate text messages to another teacher during a March 2016 “faith development day,” Stewardson said. She mistakenly sent the messages to the wrong teacher.

“The content was negative and gossipy,” and a failed attempt at humour, Stewardson said. It’s the first disciplinary case in Alberta where a teacher was found guilty for sending inappropriate texts to another staff member, he said.