A former high school teacher accused by eight female students and a student teacher of sexual misconduct will be able to keep his licence.
Steven Anthony D’Amelio will remain a teacher “in good standing” after his case went before a disciplinary hearing in Toronto at the Ontario College of Teachers Tuesday. At the start of the hearing, the latest raft of allegations against him were withdrawn.”
“Our college counsel put forward a motion to withdraw the notice of hearing,” Brian Jamieson, spokesman for the Ontario College of Teachers said Wednesday. The notice of hearing accused D’Amelio of professional misconduct based on allegations dating from 1999 to 2006 when he was a biology teacher at St. Joseph’s Catholic high school.
“Typically, that happens when we don’t believe we can prove the case,” Jamieson said.
A source told The Star that none of the complainants in the case were co-operating with the college. Prior to D’Amelio being put on notice in 2009 that he would be brought before a hearing, the complainants had provided information to the college that triggered a second investigation into D’Amelio’s classroom conduct.
The source can’t be named because the person was not authorized to speak about the case on the record.
D’Amelio has been before a disciplinary hearing before. In December, he was found not guilty of sexual misconduct related to one former student.
D’Amelio was previously charged criminally on those same allegations and was acquitted of sexual assault and sexual interference charges in 2008.
D’Amelio was fired by the Windsor-Essex Catholic District School Board in 2006 after being arrested and charged with sexual assault. The lack of findings of guilt in the criminal court and at disciplinary hearings will not change the board’s decision, said Jamie Bumbacco, executive superintendent of human resources.
“He was terminated. That status has never changed.”
Bumbacco said D’Amelio’s union filed a grievance after the teacher was fired and not rehired.
“The status of that hasn’t changed either. It’s held in abeyance.”
Bumbacco declined to comment further. “Because it’s a personnel issue, I can’t say much.”
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