A former teacher in Sault Ste. Marie will face a disciplinary hearing at the Ontario College of Teachers over allegations that he was physically, verbally and psychologically abusing students as an employee at a French Catholic school board.
The two-day hearing for Mario Vallieres is slated to begin February 5, 2024.
According to the hearing notice, Vallieres was employed as a teacher at Conseil scolaire catholique du Nouvel-Ontario during all of the alleged incidents. Vallieres’ membership status with the College has been listed as ‘inactive/non-practising’ since May 2022.
One of the professional misconduct allegations dates as far back as the early 2000s, when Vallieres allegedly bought an undisclosed birthday gift for a female student.
Another allegation revolves around a September 2019 incident where the teacher is accused of grabbing a male student by the arm in order to make him leave the classroom after refusing to do so.
It’s also alleged that Vallieres made a series of inappropriate comments to a classroom of students in October 2019, including:
- “If there are any punks in this class, you can just leave now,” or words to that effect;
- “I dragged you out last time, I can do it again,” or words to that effect; and
- “Yeah, that’s a threat,” or words to that effect.
But perhaps the most disturbing accusations of misconduct aimed at the former teacher involved a pair of incidents that allegedly took place on February 12, 2021.
Vallieres is alleged to have grabbed the buttocks of a student one or more times that day. He’s also been accused of making an inappropriate comment to the effect of “you don’t know how much I love you, you don’t know how much I miss you,” to that same student.
Sault Ste. Marie Police Service charged Vallieres with sexual assault and sexual interference following a February 12, 2021 incident where he assaulted a student under the age of 16 while filling in as a supply teacher at École Notre-Dame-Du-Sault.
Vallieres was 73 years old at the time of the incident.
In January 2022, Vallieres pleaded guilty to simple assault in the Ontario Court of Justice and the initial charges involving the student were withdrawn. He was subsequently handed a conditional discharge and 12 months probation, including orders by the court to keep the peace and be of good behaviour, have no contact with the complainant and not be within 100 metres of the student.
He was also barred from volunteering or seeking employment in a capacity that would involve being in a position of trust with a person under the age of 16.
His probation may have ended, but there could be additional consequences for Vallieres’ alleged behaviour in the classroom handed down in the near future.
He now faces a disciplinary hearing at the Ontario College of Teachers to decide whether or not the allegations — which include committing acts that “would be reasonably regarded by members as disgraceful, dishonourable or unprofessional” — are true.
If found guilty of professional misconduct, Vallieres could face a number of monetary penalties and sanctions from the teachers college, including the revocation of his teaching certificate.