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BRANTFORD – The body that regulates teachers across Ontario has revoked the licence of a former educator and department head at a Brantford-area high school.
Last week, Michael Sardine, a longtime teacher at Paris District High School, was found guilty of professional misconduct after a disciplinary hearing at the Ontario College of Teachers.
In the notice of hearing that was posted in January, Sardine was accused of professional misconduct involving a student in the mid- to late-1990s. The allegations included kissing and sexually touching a student and talking to her about sex.
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According to the notice, Sardine is said to have invited the student to his home where they watched TV and she performed housework. The notice also alleged he took the student to events and made plans for the teen to live with him or marry him when she was no longer a minor.
He was charged with professional misconduct, failing to uphold the ethical standards of teaching, abusing a student and committing acts that were “disgraceful, dishonorable or unprofessional.”
According to the Ontario College of Teachers, Sardine’s licence was marked as “inactive/non-practising” as of April 2021. Online, Sardine was last noted to be the head of English at Paris District High School, just outside Brantford, during the 2018-19 school year.
Grand Erie District School Board spokesperson Ryan Strang said the board is aware of the recent disciplinary hearing about Sardine and noted he had retired in 2020, before the proceedings began against him.
“The Grand Erie District School Board takes the safety and well-being of students and staff very seriously,” Strang said.
According to public records, Sardine graduated from the University of Toronto with a bachelor of arts degree in 1985 and a teaching degree three years later. He was qualified to teach high school English and drama and was also qualified to teach a special education program.
SGamble@postmedia.com
@EXPSGamble
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