Teacher Who Sent Teenage Boy Love Letters Shouldn't Teach, Says Lawyer
By Amy Carmichael
Originally published by the Canadian Press, May 17, 2001
TORONTO (CP) — A teacher who sent a teenaged boy sexually charged e-mail has failed to show up for her disciplinary hearing or to apologize for her actions—and should be banned from teaching because of it, the hearing was told Thursday.
"There's been no direct apology, no expression of interest, of insight, no recognition," said Thomas Forbes, the lawyer for the Ontario College of Teachers, which regulates the profession.
Annie Markson, a York region Catholic school supply teacher, was found guilty of professional misconduct on March 1 for a relationship with a 14-year-old student.
The student, who is now 17, told the college's disciplinary committee that he had five clandestine meetings with Markson and exchanged sexually explicit e-mails with her during the summer of 1998.
He said their relationship never went beyond hugs and kisses, which he initiated.
Forbes said Thursday that because the teacher hasn't come before the panel to apologize or try to prove that she wouldn't reoffend, "you have to draw the inference that there is a substantial risk of reoccurrence."
But Markson's lawyer, William Markle, said his client deeply regretted her actions. He urged the panel not to ban her from teaching because she's suffered enough and isn't likely to reoffend.
"She's learned tremendous lessons, professionally, personally and emotionally," he said.
"God knows she'll keep her guard up and never let anything like this happen again."
He added that Markson didn't attend the hearing because he'd told her not to subject herself to the glare of the media.
The college was seeking too severe a penalty, Markle said, given that it wasn't proven she abused the boy sexually, physically or emotionally.
A psychologist told the college on Wednesday that Markson has suffered chronic insomnia, guilt and depression.
But Forbes said her lawyer did not provide any evidence of what Markson has been doing since the relationship ended, or what her record has been with children since the incident.
Forbes suggested that she could have gone to counselling to address her "boundary issues" and have the doctor report back on her progress, but she did not.
He asked that the college revoke her licence and order her to pay $38,000 in costs. This is the first time the college has tried to recover costs from an accused teacher.
Forbes said the college must consider that Markson was warned by the boy's mother that he had a crush on her and that she continued to violate the boundaries and "sexualize" her actions.
Forbes said the college must also consider "the injurious effects (Markson's) actions will have on the student."
The three-member disciplinary committee had a range of sanctions at its disposal, from a reprimand to suspension to taking away Markson's licence to teach.
