MAY 2022

For College Members: Your College and You.

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60,000+ have completed mandatory sexual abuse prevention program ahead of Sept. 15 deadline

More than 60,000 Ontario Certified Teachers (OCTs) and applicants have successfully completed the College’s mandatory Sexual Abuse Prevention Program. OCTs can access the program at no cost by logging in to the Members area of the College website.

The deadline to complete the program is Sept 15, 2022. If you don’t complete the program by then, the information on your public register page will change from “Sexual Abuse Prevention Program – To Be Completed” to “Sexual Abuse Prevention Program – Incomplete.”

College shares concerns regarding Bill 88

On March 29, Interim Registrar & CEO Chantal Bélisle, OCT and Membership Analyst Nancy Tran addressed the provincial government’s Standing Committee on Social Policy to share concerns regarding amendments to the Fair Access to Regulated Professions and Compulsory Trades Act (FARPACTA), contained in Schedule 3 of the Bill.

The Bill, which received Royal Assent on April 11, 2022, will establish tight timelines within which regulators must respond to domestic labour mobility applicants for certification in Ontario, unless an exemption is granted.

What does professional misconduct or incompetence mean?

The College, via its Discipline Committee, determines whether a particular behaviour from an OCT amounts to professional misconduct or incompetence.

Full details of what constitutes professional misconduct or incompetence can be found in our Professional Misconduct Regulation and the Ontario College of Teachers Act.

An illustration of a balance scale with the words 'Myths' and 'Facts' on either side.

Myth: My privacy is guaranteed on social media.

Fact: Your privacy is never guaranteed. Check the privacy and security settings of photos and other content on your social media accounts frequently as they may change without your notice.

Want more tips? The College’s professional advisory on the use of social media and electronic communications is intended to help OCTs understand their professional boundaries and responsibilities in the appropriate use of electronic communication and social media.

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Library inquiries

Check out the Margaret Wilson Library’s FAQs to learn how to download an eBook, return your library materials, access online research databases, and more!

Still have questions? At the top of the College website, click on the FAQ section or contact the library team at library@oct.ca or 1-888-534-2222 ext. 679.

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Council meeting summary

College Council met via videoconference on March 24, 2022.

Read the meeting summary

Discipline Committee panels conduct public hearings into allegations of professional misconduct or incompetence. Full panel decisions are posted to the member’s public register profile.

Sean Andrew Meighan, # 426913
Reprimand, conditions – A Discipline Committee panel reprimanded Sean Andrew Meighan for unprofessional conduct. Read more.

Joel Steven Bates, # 278765
Reprimand, undertaking to resign – A Discipline Committee panel ordered that Joel Steven Bates be reprimanded for making inappropriate comments and remarks in his classes that were offensive to some students and made some students uncomfortable and upset. Read more.

Celin Chengotal Sebastian, # 513079
Reprimand, conditions – A Discipline Committee panel reprimanded Celin Chengotal Sebastian for verbally abusing students. Read more.

Lois Elizabeth Bennett, # 180634
Suspension, reprimand, conditions – A Discipline Committee panel suspended the teaching certificate of Lois Elizabeth Bennett for a pattern of inappropriate and disrespectful interactions with students. Read more.

Melissa Anne Velec, # 419226
Suspension, reprimand, conditions – A Discipline Committee panel suspended the teaching certificate of Melissa Anne Velec for conduct that included verbally and psychologically or emotionally abusing students. Read more.

John Vesta Morris, # 524063
Suspension, reprimand, conditions – A Discipline Committee panel suspended the certificate of John Vesta Morris for engaging in the physical abuse of a student. Read more.

David Andrew Boyce, # 212920
Suspension, reprimand, conditions – A Discipline Committee panel suspended the certificate of David Andrew Boyce for a pattern of behaviour in which he showed disrespect for several female students by engaging in sexualized interactions with them. Read more.

Jean-Paul Lamarche, # 263258
Reinstatement – A Discipline Committee panel ordered that Jean-Paul Lamarche, who applied to have a new Certificate of Qualification and Registration, be issued a certificate subject to terms, conditions or limitations. Read more.

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