All Ontario teachers found guilty of sexually abusing a student in any way — including inappropriate comments or messages — will automatically lose their licences under new legislation proposed by the provincial government.The wide-ranging bill, to be introduced Thursday by Education Minister Lisa Thompson, will also require new teachers to pass a math competency test before being allowed to work in any elementary or secondary school.Although the previous Liberal government introduced legislation around teacher misconduct in 2016, critics said it had too many loopholes because it specifies which acts will lead to the loss of a teaching certificate — intercourse, masturbation, child pornography and genital contact.But it led to cases where those found guilty of sexual touching or comments by the Ontario College of Teachers were allowed to remain in the classroom.Thompson’s new Safe and Supportive Classrooms Act replaces the list of abuses with “any and all forms of sexual abuse” against children so that all such misconduct is included — something a number of advocacy groups had called for.The idea to set tougher — and consistent — punishment around sexual misconduct was in part prompted by a Star series earlier this year that detailed the case of Richard Buckley, a teacher in Thompson’s own Huron-Bruce riding.The Bluewater District School Board teacher sent sexual messages to a teenage girl, later threatening to commit suicide if the girl disclosed what he’d done.At his disciplinary hearing before the Ontario College of Teachers, he pleaded guilty to psychological and sexual abuse but was allowed to continue to teach.Under the new law, he would lose his licence.Teachers can apply to be reinstated after five years.As for math, while the province is consulting parents on curriculum changes, in the meantime it is focusing on teacher skills.Working with the Ontario College of Teachers, the province wan ...
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