A local teacher has been found guilty of sexual assault.
On Jan. 11, a Timmins judge found Luc Chalifoux guilty of the charge.
In 2022, when Conseil scolaire catholique de district des Grandes Rivieres (CSCDGR) received the complaint, Chalifoux was "relieved of his duties".
“The school board acknowledges the decision of the courts regarding Mr. Chalifoux and does not tolerate any misconduct of this kind involving a staff member. We can confirm that Mr. Chalifoux has been relieved of his duties towards students since the beginning of this case and is no longer employed at CSCDGR. The CSCDGR is committed to supporting students and staff members troubled by this ordeal," reads a statement from the board.
The Ontario College of Teachers (OCT) registry notes that Chalifoux's teaching certificate was issued in 1998 and his status is in good standing. His profile has a notation that he has been found guilty of the offence.
TimminsToday asked the OCT what the procedure is if a member is found guilty of sexual assault and if there will be an OCT hearing.
In an email, senior communications officer Elena Moreno said that the college is not legally allowed to comment on an investigation or confirm if an investigation is ongoing. She also provided general information about the investigation and disciplinary process.
"Following an investigation by college staff, the college’s investigation committee may determine that a matter should be referred to the discipline committee. If the case is referred for a hearing, that information is posted on the member’s public register profile. A notice of hearing setting out allegations of professional misconduct against the member involved is also added to their profile once it has been prepared. Then a date for a discipline committee hearing is set," she wrote.
"If the discipline committee determines that a member should be subject to penalties for professional misconduct, a summary of penalties imposed will be posted as a notation to the member’s public register profile. A decision document that provides the committee’s full rationale, when ready, is also posted to the public register."
