A former Midland high school teacher engaged in “grooming, predatory” behaviour while teaching “vulnerable” students over the course of two school years.
During a lengthy hearing Thursday afternoon, an Ontario College of Teachers (OCT) disciplinary panel found Kevin Mark Morphet guilty of professional misconduct, sexual abuse and sexual misconduct related to several incidents that occurred while he was teaching at Midland Secondary School (Georgian Bay District Secondary School) over the course of the 2017/2018 and 2018/2019 academic years.
Morphet did not attend Thursday’s hearing due to a “scheduling conflict with his new employment,” according to his counsel Angela Zhu, noting her client now works in the manufacturing sector.
As a result of the finding, Morphet will receive a formal reprimand and his teaching certificate will be revoked.
In a joint submission presented by Zhu and OCT counsel Jordan Glick, Morphet pleaded no contest to the allegations.
“Mr. Morphet has no desire to prolong this process,” Zhu said, noting Morphet also opted not to put his former “students on the stand” as would have occurred had he contested the allegations.
“(This) does not constitute an admission of guilt.”
Glick, however, said Morphet was effectively “grooming” students through highly inappropriate physical contact and/or touching of a sexual nature and seemed to target students undergoing “personal trauma,” including those with difficult home lives.
“It’s disgraceful, dishonourable and unprofessional,” said Glick, who then went on to outline close to a dozen incidents for the three-person panel led by chair Emile Ramlochan. (more...)
Area teacher guilty of sexual abuse, professional misconduct
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