Teacher fired for relations with students

OTTAWA An award-winning Ottawa high school teacher accused of having an “intimate sexual relationship” with two male students and kissing a third on the lips has been fired and stripped of her teaching permit.

Joanne Leger-legault pleaded no contest to the allegations of professional misconduct filed against her and did not dispute the facts presented to the Ontario College of Teach- ers discipline committee when it heard the case last year.

The committee agreed with Leger- Legault’s admission she violated student-teacher boundaries by engaging in inappropriate relations with four students and chastised her for abusing her position of trust and authority.

“By engaging in inappropriate relationships with, and sexual abuse of students whom she taught, the member committed acts of professional misconduct as alleged. The member failed to maintain the standards of the profession, committed acts that would be regarded by members as disgraceful, dishonourable or unprofessional and engaged in conduct unbecoming a member,” the Sept. 27 decision said.

The decision was posted on the college’s website but wasn’t published widely until now.