St. Michael’s College School, a prestigious private school for boys where police are investigating allegations of assault and sexual assault, is cancelling several sports programs.

The Toronto school, which is known for its athletics programs, announced Wednesday that it is cancelling the varsity basketball season for the remainder of this academic year, and the junior and varsity football seasons for the following school year.

In a letter to parents, the school’s acting principals called the move a “difficult but necessary decision.”

The cancellations are part of an “action plan,” also announced Wednesday. It includes an independent review of the school’s culture, providing counselling services, creating new staff positions such as a student wellness officer, and expanding curriculum to tackle topics such as healthy masculinities, consent, responsible digital citizenship, gender norms and bystander behaviour.

“Our action plan focuses on continuing to ensure the safety and well-being of our students, while putting the mechanisms in place to gather feedback from our community and implement changes that prevent these incidents from happening again,” reads the plan, posted on the school’s website.

“Recent events at St. Michael’s College School have shed light on the need to build a more respectful culture at the school. In order to achieve this, we need to understand the truth, even if it is hard, because only then can there be learning, healing and change.”

Last month, the all-boys grades 7-12 school at Bathurst St. and St. Clair Ave. W. was rocked by scandal. Six boys were charged with assault, gang sexual assault and sexual assault with a weapon in an incident involving a young teen that allegedly took place in a locker room. The alleged assault was videotaped and shared on social media. Police are investigating six incidents at the school including two alleged sexual assaults, three alleged assaults and one incident related to threatening.

Toronto police spokesperson Const. Caroline de Kloet said Wednesday there are no updates in the criminal investigation.

A few weeks ago, the school cancelled all events involving external groups, teams and public performances for the remainder of 2018. In the letter to parents, it said the school is “carefully preparing to resume” those activities for 2019 — but all students involved in competitive sports and activities will have to participate in upcoming workshops.

One is called “Building Awareness and Respect,” and is aimed at giving students the knowledge, skills and the know-how to act or assist when they experience or witness bullying, harassment or abuse. Another, called “Coping and Resiliency,” will give students tools to cope with what has transpired at the school and help them if they decide to return to competitive play.

“Before we return to competitive activities, we strongly encourage you to have a conversation with your son regarding his comfort level with returning to our co-curricular programming,” reads the letter. “We want and need to hear from parents and from students.”

Throughout December, students, faculty and staff have participated in workshops and educational sessions to help them heal and grow, and support counsellors have visited all classrooms.

Read more:

‘Fifteen, 50 years, it could be anything’: Toronto police say their St. Michael’s College investigation is open to historic complaints

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