Former Whitby elementary teacher sentenced to just under 2 years behind bars

A former Whitby teacher will be going to jail after being convicted of sexually assaulting students at an elementary school where he taught.

Thomas Grieve, 40, was sentenced Tuesday at a Durham courthouse to 720 days — 10 days under two years — behind bars.

Grieve was found guilty in September of sexually assaulting and exploiting students at Robert Munsch public school in Whitby.

Many in the gallery were on hand waiting for judge Marquis Felix to hand down the sentence. The former teacher kept his head held high during Tuesday’s proceeding.

Grieve has been convicted of 16 counts of sexual assault and sexual interference.

He will serve 90 days consecutively in an Ontario jail for each of the eight victims he was convicted of sexually touching. In addition to jail time, Felix ordered 35 months of probation with rehabilitation programming.

Grieve is prohibited from attending public parks or swimming areas where children under 16 are present unless he is accompanied by an adult over 25.

Felix said that throughout the trial, which started last May, Grieve “did not express a murmur of remorse.”

He added that victims, who cannot be named due to a publication ban, faced depression, anxiety and post-traumatic stress disorder as a result of the assaults. One victim was taken to the ER for self-harm.

“Victim impact statements make it painfully clear that parents feel a sense of guilt for placing their children in this environment,” Felix said.

Letters submitted to Felix by friends and family and the school community about Grieve’s character were discussed in court before his sentencing was announced.

“He was held in high regard by others. Unfortunately, this type of background is not unusual in criminal law,” Felix said.

The assaults happened between 2010 and 2018.