Ontario teacher charged for allegedly failing to help student in medical distress

A teacher with the Thames Valley District School Board is facing charges after St. Thomas Police say the person failed to help a student who had a “medical episode” in their classroom.

Police said in a release Friday that the incident happened at a St. Thomas School, just south of London, Ont.

Scott Barnes, St. Thomas deputy chief of police, said they were first informed about the incident by the child’s parent on Nov. 28, 2023.

The incident involved an occasional teacher with the school board, a release says.

Following an investigation, St. Thomas Police allege a student experiencing a medical episode in their classroom and was not provided with the necessaries required to ensure their wellbeing.

“It was learned that the student had suffered a medical episode while in class, witnessed by others in the classroom. A period of time passed where it is alleged that the teacher overseeing the classroom failed to provide necessary assistance to the student,” Barnes said.

Barnes told Global News the student left the classroom and made their way to the office, where a parent was notified.

He said the student was taken to hospital by their parent, where they were admitted for treatment of a serious medical condition.

To maintain the child’s privacy, Barnes said he would not comment on the type of medical condition the student suffered from but did say, “If left untreated… for much longer, (it) could have resulted in different circumstances.”

The student has since been released from the hospital.

“There is a duty for those in a position of trust or authority to provide supervision when one person is under the other’s charge and is unable to provide necessaries of life for themselves,” police said in a statement.

As a result of the investigation, the 26-year-old teacher has been charged and released with a future court date.

“Thames Valley is aware that charges have been laid involving an Occasional Teacher employed at the board. The employee will not be assigned to a school,” a statement from a school board spokesperson said.