Letters: Board needs to treat complaints about teachers more seriously Re: Parents say complaints about accused teacher were ignored April 24. I have had two children attend schools in Orléans, in two different school boards. One thing they both had in common: teachers in their schools were charged (and one convicted) with sexual interference of students. In both cases, students and parents were uncomfortable with these men, and complaints were made to the school administration long before the police were involved. But, also in both cases, these complaints were ignored. More significantly, these men, Philip Nolan and Rick Despatie/Watkins, were allowed to coach/supervise students after school (band and basketball) and both were designated chaperones on school-sponsored trips outside the country. Nolan accompanied his grade 8 students, including my son, on an exchange visit to France. Despatie/Watkins travelled with his grade 8 students to Boston. I find it irresponsible of school administrations to allow a teacher with any complaints on their record to be put in charge of students off school property. To the best of my knowledge nothing criminal took place on these trips, but in retrospect, if parents knew of the complaints that the school administrations were privy to, they would not have allowed their children to go. School boards and school administrators need to do a better job providing information to students about appropriate behaviour and where to go if someone makes them uncomfortable. Students need a safe outlet to discuss inappropriate behaviour they see or know about. Complaints need to be taken seriously and additional scrutiny placed on teachers with reputations of unprofessional conduct. Hopefully when dealing with students, one strike and you’re out as a chaperone: no unrestricted access to students, no ability to supervise class trips off school property. Lesley Ouimet, Orléans Give police credit for acting responsibly Re: Cops shouldn’t pick and choose laws to enforce, April 23. What would columnist Brigitte Pellerin have? Police enforcing intimidating practices? Make police officers fall guys for the willy-nilly whims of politicians? Not push back on repressive measures? Giving police a free pass on grounds they were just following orders? Please, Ms. Pellerin, give front-line officers credit for being responsible human beings with the freedom of expressing themselves, as you have. John Kruithof, Ottawa Let Hillier, Sloan work in an ICU Re : Two Ontario politicians face fines for participating in church service , April 28. Instead of a fine for violating the current COVID lockdown rules, might I suggest that MP Derek Sloan and MPP Randy Hillier each be sentenced to one month of community service in a ICU where they can wash floors and clean toilets so that they can witness first-hand the impact of their role in the continuance of the pandemic and to see the pain and tragedy that it has wrought. Duncan Bury, Ottawa Continue reading... https://www.msn.com/en-ca/news/cana...nts-about-teachers-more-seriously/ar-BB1gdAwc Find in Internet Archives [google]Letters: Board needs to treat complaints about teachers more seriously[/google]
