Parents, former students demanding action on alleged sexual violence in two Quebec schools

"The systems in place failed my daughter," says Jennifer Hopkins, alleging her daughter was sexually assaulted at school. She and others demonstrated in Montreal, demanding action to curb this violence in Quebec schools. Alyssia Rubertucci reports.

By Alyssia Rubertucci

Quebecers denounced sexual violence at school a demonstration held outside of Montreal’s French school service center on Friday morning.

They allege that some students are subject to problematic behaviours from a teacher at Louise-Trichet High School in the city’s east end and some calling out another student at a school in Cowansville, south of Montreal.

(Credit: Alyssia Rubertucci, CityNews image)

Pégalie went to Louise Trichet between 2017 and 2018, when she says she created a Facebook group to voice concerns about the physical education and sexual education teacher.

She says on a school trip, he allegedly refused to leave a room while girls were trying to change. She also said he had asked students to tell him about their sexual experiences.

“He pushed the limits,” she said. “He would ask us to go to the front of the class to explain our body and lay down on the table, so he could show whatever sexual parts.”

Pégalie says when she raised her concerns, had multiple meetings with her parents, not only was she shut down by the principal, but said administration threatened to call the police.

“She said that she would not listen to any of this, the things I had to say about him,” she alleges. “I was suspended and I wasn’t allowed to speak about him.”

Pégalie, former student of Louise-Trichet high school. (Credit: Alyssia Rubertucci, CityNews image)

Parents from Eastern Townships speak out

“The parents deserve transparency, respect and now accountability,” said parent Jennifer Hopkins. “The systems in place failed my daughter and they failed the students at Massey Vanier.”

Hopkins says her then seven-year-old daughter was sexually abused by another student in 2020 while at Knowlton elementary school.

“The people in charge of protecting our children simply moved a sexual predator from the primary school to the high school, where he continued to sexually assault students.

The alleged perpetrator is now at Massey Vanier High school, part of the Eastern Townships School Board. but Hopkins says she was notified he would be moved back to the elementary school.

She and other parents are calling on the board’s chair to resign over a lack of action. 

“Why did you defend his right to an education over the safety of our children? Why didn’t you remove him after the first offense?”

(Credit: Alyssia Rubertucci, CityNews image)

Disciplinary action taken against Montreal teacher

The Eastern Townships School Board declined to comment, while a rep for the Centre de services scolaire de Montréal says “inappropriate actions and language in our schools are unacceptable, we encourage anyone to report them.”

The service centre says thanks to the people who came forward, they were able to take the necessary measures against the teacher.

“The CSSDM does not protect its staff members who have committed a serious fault and acts in accordance with its legal responsibilities and obligations,” they said in the statement.

“In this case, there were never any criminal charges, however, the administrative follow-ups provided for in such circumstances were carried out, namely an investigation process, a disciplinary meeting and a recommendation for dismissal as a disciplinary measure. As soon as the process was initiated, the employee was instructed to stay home and resigned before we could proceed with his dismissal.”

The board says that these events are part of the general investigation by the Minister of Education into misconduct or inappropriate behaviour in the school system. “We are cooperating fully,” they said.

RELATED: Quebec to conduct investigation into sexual misconduct in schools

Pégalie says it’s a relief to see movement on this and more people speaking out.

“This whole year at the school, I was gaslighted that I was insane for thinking that this guy shouldn’t shouldn’t be working,” she said. “I hope other girls come forward to because we know he made other victims.”

Demands for a law to protect students

Meanwhile, at the end of April, Quebec MNA Ruba Ghazal tabled a framework law to prevent and combat sexual violence from preschool to high school, which already exists at the CEGEP and university level.

Ghazal is demanding Quebec’s education minister Bernard Draiville to adopt it.

The framework received support from Quebec’s opposition parties, but has yet to be approved by the CAQ government. They say that time needs to be given to the National Student Ombudsman to start his mandate at the start of the 2023-2024 school year.

“It’s our responsibility as adults to protect children, to protect teenagers,” said Ghazal. “When they go to school, it’s to learn, not to be aggressed.”

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