Karate school owner loses franchise over past abuse
The owner of an Ottawa martial arts dojo has lost her franchise rights following revelations that her school-teacher’s certificate was revoked last year after the Ontario College of Teachers ruled she had emotionally and sexually abused a student.
Douvris Martial Arts issued a statement to parents this week notifying them that it has severed its relationship with Carmel Rouhani of the Barrhaven Douvris Martial Arts franchise.
“Information has arisen which Ms. Rouhani failed to disclose at the beginning of her relationship with Douvris Martial Arts, and therefore, we are terminating our relationship with Ms. Rouhani,” the statement said. “Further, she has been advised not to have contact directly or indirectly with Douvris Martial Arts students. Martial Arts classes at the Barrhaven location are currently being taught by other Douvris instructors.”
Rouhani, 29, earned a bronze medal at the 2014 World Karate and Kickboxing Commission World Championships. She purchased the Barrhaven franchise in 2014.
Repeated messages seeking her comment Tuesday and Wednesday were not returned.
According to the Discipline Committee of the Ontario College of Teachers, Rouhani’s certificate was revoked last year because of her actions involving a student at a school — part of the Near North District School Board — where she worked as a supply teacher between 2011 and 2013.
An agreed statement of facts that accompanied a guilty plea for professional misconduct found that the two started a friendship in the summer of 2012.
The document, accepted after a hearing under the Ontario College of Teachers Act on March 23, 2015, said they began texting, which escalated to more than 35,000 messages being exchanged in just over a year.
Evidence showed the two shared a bed at one point and continued to meet against the wishes of the girl’s parents. After reading some of the texts, the mother reported the “inappropriate relationship” to the OPP, who conducted an investigation. No charges were laid, and Rouhani has no criminal record.
Rouhani left Ontario to accept a teaching job in Britain without informing her new employer of her teaching status, according to a report from a professional conduct panel of the National College for Teaching and Leadership in the U.K. British education authorities then banned her from teaching in spring 2014 after the Ontario College of Teachers informed them of their investigation.
Cathy Douvris, whose family started the company three decades ago, told the Citizen she was surprised when she learned about Rouhani’s past, given she had been practising martial arts with Douvris since she was 13.
Douvris said that Rouhani is still the sole owner of the Barrhaven location, but has agreed to avoid the school and its students “until the legalities are taken care of.”
“We were made aware of the allegations against her about a week and a half ago and that is when she was removed from the school. No one was aware up until that point,” Douvris said.
Douvris said classes will continue, for now, at the Barrhaven location.
Asked if the company conducts vulnerable-sector checks on its instructors, Douvris said, yes, if the person is not known to them.
“If someone is coming in from a different school and they’re an adult, absolutely (they’ll do a check). We’ve known Carmel for a long time. She’s not a new person to us. So this is why this is shocking.”
We were made aware of the allegations against her about a week and a half ago and that is when she was removed from the school.