Teacher pleads guilty to assaulting student

A Sault Ste. Marie teacher received a conditional discharge Thursday after pleading guilty to assaulting a student last year.

Mario Vallieres was filling in as a supply teacher at Ecole Notre-Dame-du-Sault at the time of the Feb. 12 incident which involved a student under the age of 16.

City police charged the 73-year-old man with sexual assault and sexual interference in April.

When he appeared in the Ontario Court of Justice this week, he pleaded guilty to simple assault and the initial charges were withdrawn.

Justice Romuald Kwolek agreed to a conditional discharge and placed Vallieres on probation for 12 months.

During his probation he must keep the peace and be of good behaviour, have no contact with the complainant and not be within 100 metres of the student.

As well, he can not volunteer or seek employment in a capacity that would involve being in a position of trust with a person under the age of 16.