http://www.cbc.ca/canada/british-columbia/...ploitation.html

Police investigate alleged sexual exploitation at Burnaby school
Last Updated: Thursday, October 9, 2008 | 7:57 PM ET
CBC News

An allegation of sexual exploitation involving a female teacher and male student at a school in Burnaby, B.C., is being investigated by the RCMP.

The principal of St. Thomas More Collegiate, an independent Catholic school, contacted police about a "possible sexual relationship" between a teacher and student, Burnaby RCMP said Thursday.

The Burnaby RCMP Child Abuse and Sexual Offence Unit is investigating the allegations, Cpl. Alexandra Mulvihill said in a news release.

"At this time, the investigation is in its primary stages," she said. "It is confirmed that the allegations involve a female teacher and a male student."

"No ages will be released on either person or the dates the alleged incident took place."

It is not known if this was an isolated incident at the school, Mulvihill said.

Police provided no information on the status of the teacher and student under investigation.

The school's website describes itself as a non-profit organization that provides Catholic education for young men and women, and a member of the Catholic and civic educational communities in the Lower Mainland.



http://www.cbc.ca/canada/british-columbia/...llegations.html

Burnaby teacher denies allegation of sex with student, says principal
Last Updated: Friday, October 10, 2008 | 1:14 PM ET
CBC News

A female teacher at a private Burnaby Catholic school who is under police investigation for having a sexual relationship with a Grade 11 student has denied the allegation, according to the school's principal.

"The teacher was very distraught — very, very distraught — and she denied it," said Darrell Hall, the principal of Burnaby's Saint Thomas More Collegiate.

Late last month, two students told Hall they believed the teacher had an inappropriate relationship with one of their classmates last year, he told CBC News on Thursday.

"They came into my office late one day and they revealed the allegation and as soon as we heard the allegation, we got the police involved, talked to the teacher and the matter is now in the hands of police," said Hall.

"My main concern was the safety of our students and that's why we acted very quickly in turning this over to police," said Hall.

The teacher immediately took a personal leave, but she has an untainted record in her four years at the school, Hall said

"She was always a very popular teacher with students and staff and there's no blemish on her record anywhere," he said.

The alleged victim, whose name has not been released, is now in Grade 12 and still attends the school.

Burnaby RCMP Cpl. Alexandra Mulvihill said the RCMP's child abuse and sexual offence unit is now investigating.

"As this is early on, we can't really get into, or nor do we know, how serious this is, in regards to the relationship that may have existed. Obviously we take these allegations seriously and we will investigate them to their full potential," said Mulvihill.

Saint Thomas More Collegiate teaches students from Grade 8 to 12.



http://www.cbc.ca/canada/british-columbia/...al-assault.html

Female Vernon teacher charged with sexually assaulting student
Last Updated: Saturday, October 11, 2008 | 12:55 AM ET
CBC News

Deborah Ashton, 43, faces charges of invitation to sexual touching, sexual assault and touching for sexual purposes a person under 14 years. (CBC)
A female vice-principal and teacher at an elementary school in Vernon, B.C., has been charged with three sex-related offences involving a student under the age of 14, police said.

Deborah Ashton, 43, appeared in B.C. provincial court in Vernon on Thursday to face charges of invitation to sexual touching, sexual assault and touching for sexual purposes a person under 14 years.

Ashton was vice-principal of Coldstream Elementary School when the alleged offences took place between 2002 and 2005, but the student only came forward in June, Vernon/North Okanagan RCMP Sgt. David Evans said Friday.

Ashton has since been suspended from teaching. Her next court appearance is scheduled for Oct. 22.

The exact age or identity of the student was not released.

Superintendent Bob Peacock said the Vernon School District was made aware of the allegations and took immediate steps to ensure students' safety was never at risk.

"Miss Ashton is not currently teaching at our schools," Peacock said.

Evans said the case is far from closed, because investigators are still trying to determine if this was an isolated case or if there were other incidents.

"With this case now being public, there could be other victims come forward," he said.

The charges were laid the same day it was revealed that a female teacher in Burnaby was under RCMP investigation for allegedly having sexual relations with a Grade 11 student.

Corrections and Clarifications
RCMP have not revealed whether the alleged victim was a boy or a girl, contrary to what was originally reported.
Oct. 10, 2008 | 3:30 p.m. ET

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