Discipline Committee

Discipline Committee panels hear and determine matters related to alleged professional misconduct and/or incompetence against College members. The parties to a hearing are the College and the member who is the subject of the complaint.

It is the responsibility of the Discipline Committee to determine if the member is guilty of professional misconduct and/or is incompetent (as defined in the Ontario College of Teachers Act) and, if so, to determine and impose the appropriate order. If a member is found guilty of professional misconduct and/or to be incompetent, the panel may, among other things:

• direct the Registrar to revoke a member’s certificate
• direct the Registrar to suspend a member's certificate for up to 24 months
• direct the Registrar to impose specific terms, conditions or limitations on a member's certificate
• fix a period during which a member is ineligible for reinstatement
• for findings of professional misconduct, the panel may also:
  • require that a member be reprimanded, admonished or counselled
  • impose a fine up to $5,000
  • fix costs to be paid by the member to the College
  • if the act of professional misconduct includes sexual abuse, a prescribed sexual act and/or a prohibited act involving child pornography, require the member to reimburse the College for funding provided under the therapy/counselling program and to post security for this funding.

Discipline hearings are generally open to the public. The Discipline Committee may direct that the public be excluded from a hearing under certain circumstances.

Resources

• Discipline Committee decisions ((a summary of the decisions is published in the College’s monthly e-newsletter, Your College and You / Des Nouvelles de l’Ordre).
• Dates and times of upcoming hearings.
• Rules of Procedure of the Discipline Committee and of the Fitness to Practise Committee.
• Tribunals Book of Authorities.
• Practice Direction for Electronic Proceedings.