A 54-year-old teacher from Didsbury, Alta. is facing two charges related to sexual assault, RCMP said on Monday.
Police didn’t provide many details, but said a complaint about an alleged sexual assault was made to the Didsbury RCMP on March 11.
Henry John Paulgaard has been charged with one count each of sexual interference and sexual assault.
RCMP said he has been released from custody on a promise to appear with condition. He’s scheduled to be back in court on March 25.
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An RCMP spokesperson confirmed Paulgaard was a teacher at Hugh Sutherland School in Carstairs. The school has students from Grade 3 to 12. As of 4 p.m. on Monday, Paulgaard’s name remained in the online directory, but the superintendent for Chinook’s Edge School Division confirmed to 630 CHED that he had been suspended.
“The safety and wellbeing of our students is our number one priority and steps have been taken so that the employee has been suspended, as per the School Act,” Kurt Sacher said.
In a letter to the parents of the Hugh Sutherland School students obtained by Global News, Sacher said the school division was cooperating with the RCMP in the investigation.
“We are responding as a leadership team to the serious allegations and we are working closely with school administrators to provide whatever additional support may be required at the school.”
Sacher said classes were continuing as normal at the school.
RCMP wouldn’t provide any more information about who made the complaint.
RCMP also would not say if the victim was alleged to be a student.
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