Liberals finally look to protect students from sex assault

Education Minister Liz Sandals

TORONTO -- It's called "passing the trash," but really it's an appalling betrayal of young people in our schools.

It took the Liberals long enough to come to grips with sexual abuse of children by teachers, but perhaps -- finally -- they're starting to take it seriously.

One of the most searing news conferences I've ever attended was in 2000, when Justice Sydney Robins carefully and methodically set out his report on the appalling abuse of children in Sault Ste. Marie schools.

It was an exhaustive report that was shocking in its detail and heart-breaking in its scope.

While Robins probed sexual abuse by a number of teachers, he focused mainly on separate school teacher Kenneth DeLuca, who over 24 years taught in five Sault-area schools.

Incredibly, Robins noted in his report: "For the most part, when he was transferred to a new school, no inquiries were made of his former school in order to obtain any background on him, even when the new principal admittedly heard about problems DeLuca had had at his former school."

So kids continued to be victimized by a system that allowed a predator to continue his evil acts.  (more...)

Liberals finally look to protect students from sex assault