A prestigious Toronto private school has expelled eight students and suspended another in wake of two separate incidents, one of which involved an alleged sexual assault.
St. Michael's College School says in an email to parents that on Monday it received a video of an incident that took place in the boys' washroom, and after conducting an internal investigation it notified police.
The school says on Monday evening it received a video of another incident that took place in a locker room, but only notified police on Wednesday after completing an internal investigation.
The school initially said it told police about both incidents on Monday, a statement police disputed, saying they first heard about it from the media on Wednesday.
The statmenet also reveals a third alleged incident, but no details have been released.
School officials have also said that they have met with parents and members of the Junior boys' football team.
Here's the full statement and timeline:
Dear St. Michael's College School Community,
The events of this week have left our community shaken and heartbroken.
We understand and share the anger and distress that such horrible acts could happen on our school grounds involving boys in our care. It is unacceptable and falls far short of upholding the principles we strive to live by.
Our primary concern and focus is the care, safety, and well-being of our students. The process we followed was dictated by this guiding principle.
As school administrators and educators, we bear a heavy responsibility to help guide our students through a challenging period in their lives - when external forces are often in conflict with the notion of doing the right thing - and these incidents were a stark reminder that we have more work to do.
Our 166-year history of excellence in academics, arts, and athletics is built on the foundation of goodness, discipline, and knowledge. We intend to continue to honour and model these virtues.
An active police investigation, along with our efforts to rigorously follow due process and respect the confidentiality of all parties involved, have limited what we have been able to share and when.
There have been many questions about our handling of the matter and the sequence of events leading to the expulsion of eight students and one suspension resulting from two separate severe violations of the Student Code of Conduct.
The priority for the last three days has been on the victims, students, and our staff and faculty. We are now at the stage of the investigation where we are able to share the following information:
TIMELINE
Monday, November 12
Tuesday, November 13
Wednesday, November 14
Thursday, November 15
Friday, November 16
School Administration to hold two information meetings for parents at 2 p.m. and 6 p.m.
(With files from Canadian Press)