The Discipline Committee ordered that the teaching certificate of Lydia Casati be suspended for three months for engaging in personal relationships that crossed professional boundaries with two students (Student 1 and Student 2) between October 2022 and February 2023. Her misconduct included communicating with the students by text message about non-school related matters outside school hours, discussing marijuana use with them, and repeatedly telling them to keep the messages confidential or erase them.
During the time in question, Casati was employed as a teacher by the Hamilton-Wentworth District School Board.
Casati, who was certified to teach in June 2002, attended the hearing on August 18, 2025, and had legal representation.
Casati’s misconduct included:
- Communicating with Student 1 and Student 2 by text message about non-school related matters outside school hours.
- Meeting Student 1 outside of school property at Food Basics and giving him money to buy lunch.
- Exchanging text messages with Student 1 and Student 2 about purchasing marijuana, marijuana products and paraphernalia for them.
- Repeatedly telling Student 1 and Student 2 to keep the messages confidential, including writing, “Erase these messages btw [sic]” and “This has to be the last time though.”
- Exchanging text messages about marijuana use, including writing, “Bahahaha omg that’s funny!!” in response to Student 1 saying he was still high from the previous night.
The Discipline Committee panel found Casati guilty of professional misconduct and ordered that her Certificate of Qualification and Registration be suspended for three months and that she receive a reprimand. In addition, the panel directed her to complete coursework regarding professional boundaries.
In their written decision, the panel stated, “Members of the teaching profession occupy a unique position of trust, authority and influence, and are required to maintain appropriate professional boundaries with students.”
