St. Mike’s axes sports seasons amid scandal

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.

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.