A former Conseil scolaire catholique Nouvelon teacher accused of sexually and emotionally abusing her students has had her teacher’s licence revoked after an Ontario College of Teachers hearing.
On Oct. 10, Julie Léger was found guilty of professional misconduct and reprimanded by the Ontario College of Teachers.
Her certificate of qualification and registration, which has been suspended since May 2022, has now been revoked, said the college’s website. She had been registered with the governing body since June 2000.
The allegations against Julie Léger are outlined in a notice of hearing document on the Ontario College of Teachers website. They include instances of sexual touching, as well as sexting and inappropriate comments.
The notice of hearing, dated July 18, 2022, said Léger was accused of committing acts “that, having regard to all the circumstances, would reasonably be regarded by members as disgraceful, dishonourable or unprofessional.”
The allegations against Léger involved 12 students. Specific dates for all the allegations are not included in the public document, but dates that are shown involve incidents ranging from the 2016-2017 to 2019-2020 school years.
Among the allegations is an incident in which the teacher allegedly invited a student to sit with her under a blanket for 20 to 30 minutes during a bus trip back to the school following a tournament.
With the blanket covering them, the teacher allegedly rubbed the boy’s leg and penis over his clothes, and allowed the student to rub her leg over her clothes.
The document said she allegedly said, "Don't worry, we go way back. We cuddle all the time," to a teacher at the school, regarding her bus interactions with the student. Upon their return to school, she allegedly said to the student, “Don't speak of that.”
The teacher also exchanged sexually explicit text messages with the same student, including, “I love oral sex,” “Have you ever had a woman with 29 years of experience,” and “I’m so horny right now!”
The notice of hearing also outlined numerous other allegations involving other students.
For instance, the teacher allegedly attempted to kiss a student when he came to the school to say hello to teachers. She also allegedly often asked another student for a hug.
In 2017, during a tournament, the teacher allegedly rubbed anti-inflammatory cream on a student’s leg on the bench during a game, as well as in a hotel room for approximately 10 to 15 minutes while the student was lying on a bed.
During the 2018-2019 academic year, the teacher allegedly told students, "I gotta watch out, now I can’t touch you guys because students will report me and I’ll get in trouble for flirting with you."
Conseil scolaire catholique Nouvelon told Sudbury.com in a 2022 email that Léger was last employed by the school board in December 2019.
The board did not provide the names of the school or schools at which Léger was employed, nor did the Ontario College of Teachers document.
A spokesperson for Nouvelon said in 2022 the board was aware of the allegations against her, and was fully co-operating with the college’s investigation.
Sudbury.com also reached out to Greater Sudbury Police both in 2022 and again this week to ask if any criminal charges have been laid against Léger, but a police spokesperson said they have not received a complaint regarding this individual.
Heidi Ulrichsen is Sudbury.com’s assistant editor. She also covers education and the arts scene.
