A 35-year-old northern Alberta teacher is facing sexual assault and interference charges after allegedly trying to pay off a student to stay quiet about their inappropriate interaction(s).
RCMP said the Bonnyville detachment was contacted last week by a concerned parent regarding inappropriate contact with a student by a teacher.
Police said officers were advised that at the end of August, the teacher had allegedly sexually assaulted a student and paid the student money in hopes that they would not disclose the incident.
On Sept. 6, Bonnyville RCMP arrested Janelle Arnold, 35, of Bonnyville, and charged her with sexual assault and sexual interference.
Sexual interference charges are laid when police believe a suspect has touched a person who is under the age of consent — in Canada that’s under 16 years old — for a sexual purpose.
The teacher worked at Duclos School, a K-4 elementary school in Bonnyville, but RCMP said the victim did not attend the school and was not a student of the accused.
At the end of the last school year, Duclos’ website said the accused was a Grade 4 teacher but the information has since been removed from the site.
The school is part of Northern Lights Public Schools. NLPS issued a statement saying it had been informed by RCMP that one of its staff has been charged.
“NLPS can confirm that Janelle Arnold has been employed with the division as a teacher at Duclos School for two years. This individual is no longer at an NLPS school. Out of respect for the legal process and the privacy of those involved, we will not be commenting further at this time,” the school division said.
“The safety and wellbeing of our students are always our top priorities and our focus is on supporting our students and staff. We will be working closely with the school to ensure supports are available for students and staff who need them.”
Bonnyville RCMP said it’s reaching out to offer support and is encouraging anyone who may be a survivor to contact them at 780-343-7200.
Bonnyville is about 225 kilometres northeast of Edmonton in the Cold Lake region.