Sex assault complaints process against school employees has shortcomings: report
Posted September 1, 2023 11:22 am.
Last Updated September 1, 2023 6:55 pm.
MONTREAL – An investigative report commissioned by the Quebec Ministry of Education has found that the complaints process against problematic employees in schools has several shortcomings.
Quebec Education Minister Bernard Drainville commissioned the investigation following numerous allegations of sexual misconduct in schools.
A hundred-page report concluded in July identifies a number of problems in the management of these cases, including a lack of communication between the various employers, a lack of consistency in the supervision of teachers, and limited training for those involved.
In particular, the authors suggest improving the transmission of information from one employer to another, so that problem employees can be identified as soon as they are hired. They also recommend better follow-up on the evolution of criminal records, since at present, it’s only up to the employee to keep his employer informed if his situation changes.
RELATED
Montreal North teacher charged with sexual assault of an 11-year-old
Quebec to conduct investigation into sexual misconduct in schools
Montreal elementary school teacher pleads guilty to sex crimes involving 5 girls
Another problem is that sanctions imposed on staff are deleted from their files after a certain period of time. So if there is a repeat offence and the previous sanction has been removed from the file, the whole process has to start again from scratch.
The report recommends that consideration be given to eliminating amnesty in cases of sexual misconduct and violence.
There is also talk of better informing victims and whistleblowers about the complaint process.
“For example, complaint and whistle-blowing management processes are sometimes laborious. They require a timely flow of information, better support for those involved and a common understanding of the terms related to the processes,” concludes the report.
Quebec’s education minister reacted to the report on Friday – saying it doesn’t make sense that a teacher can commit sexual misconduct and then be transferred without consequences to another school district.
Drainville said the government would act as quickly as possible to fix the issues.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published in French on September 1, 2023.
