The Discipline Committee hears matters regarding allegations of professional misconduct and/or incompetence which have been referred by the Complaints Committee following investigation.
The College is mandated to publish a summary of its disciplinary decisions and reasons when the Discipline Committee makes a finding of guilt. These disciplinary decisions are then published on the College’s website, on our blog and on CanLII, the Canadian Legal Information Institute’s website.
Karyn Shelley Snow, RECE # 22487
Facts: The Member pled guilty to professional misconduct. Following an uncontested hearing, the Discipline Committee accepted the following admissions as facts.
While the Member was supervising a group of preschool aged children during naptime, the Member engaged in rough and aggressive interactions with an autistic preschool-aged child.
The Member spoke to the child from across the room and the child responded by shaking his head “no”, standing on his cot, then sitting on it, then leaving the cot to sit on a stool beside the cot.
The Member approached the child, grabbed the child by the wrist and quickly walked him out of the preschool room and into the infant room where she proceeded to make pointing gestures at the child while standing in close proximity to him. The child appeared frightened and covered his ears with his hands.
The Member continued to make pointing gestures as she spoke with the child, who kept his hands on the sides of his face. The member bent over the child and then took a step closer to the child and forcefully and aggressively pushed the child’s hands down from his face. The child tried to put his hands back to his face and the Member pushed his hands down again. The member remained bent over the child and continued to make pointing gestures as she spoke with him.
The Member then grabbed the child’s arm and pulled him toward the door. She then let go of the child’s arm and pushed the back of the child’s head. A moment later, the Member pushed him a second time on the upper back, directing him toward the door.
Finding: In its decision, the panel found that the evidence supported findings of professional misconduct.
The Member was found guilty of several acts of professional misconduct (Ontario Regulation 223/08), including physically abusing a child who was under her professional supervision; psychologically and/or emotionally abusing a child who was under her professional supervision; failing to maintain the standards of the profession; acting or failing to act in a manner that, having regard to the circumstances, would reasonably be regarded by members as disgraceful, dishonourable or unprofessional; and conducting herself in a manner that is unbecoming a member.
The panel stated: “It is the obligation of RECEs to treat all children with respect, dignity and create environments where all children can safely experience a sense of belonging and inclusion. The Panel wants to send a clear message to the membership that physical abuse will not be tolerated and urges the College to seek more severe penalties in the future for this conduct and particularly where the circumstances involve children with special needs.”
Penalty: The Committee directed the Registrar to suspend the Member’s certificate of registration for at least seven months and to impose terms, conditions and limitations on the Member’s certificate of registration. The Committee also required the Member to appear before it to be reprimanded and ordered the Member to pay $1,000 to reimburse the College for a portion of the prosecution and hearing costs.
The full decision can be found here, linked under the heading “Special Notices”..
Charmaine Louise Lindsay, RECE # 11557
Facts: The Member pled guilty to professional misconduct. Following an uncontested hearing, the Discipline Committee accepted the following admissions as facts.
The Member fraudulently obtained $4,409.79 between December 2016 and July 2017 by misusing the day care centre’s corporate credit cards for personal expenses, by instructing a parent to make a security deposit fee payment by e-transfer into her personal bank account, by cashing cheques intended to be used as petty cash to reimburse her colleague’s work related expenses and using the funds for her own personal expenses rather than reimbursing her colleagues, and by accepting cash payments from parents for daycare fees and using the cash for her own personal expenses.
Finding: In its decision, the panel found that the evidence supported findings of professional misconduct.
The Member was found guilty of several acts of professional misconduct (Ontario Regulation 223/08), including failing to maintain the standards of the profession; acting or failing to act in a manner that, having regard to the circumstances, would reasonably be regarded by members as disgraceful, dishonourable or unprofessional; and conducting herself in a manner that is unbecoming of a member.
The panel stated: “The actions of the Member were dishonest and exhibited a lack of integrity. She failed to model appropriate behavior in regards to the College and legislative regulations, code of ethics and standards of practice. Her conduct reflects on her profession as a whole and erodes public confidence in the profession.”
Penalty: The Committee directed the Registrar to suspend the Member’s certificate of registration for at least ten months and to impose terms, conditions and limitations on the Member’s certificate of registration including completing an Ethics course, mentorship, and a prohibition on handling her employer’s money, fees or corporate credit card for two years after her return to practice as an RECE. The Committee also required the Member to appear before it to be reprimanded and ordered the Member to pay $1,000 to reimburse the College for a portion of the prosecution and hearing costs.
The full decision can be found here, linked under the heading “Special Notices”.
Sonia Deep Kaur Basi, RECE # 59816
Facts: The Member pled guilty to professional misconduct. Following an uncontested hearing, the Discipline Committee accepted the following admissions as facts.
The Member failed to follow policies and procedures when transitioning a group of toddlers in a fenced outdoor play area back into the building. The member failed to count the children or verify attendance or perform the centre’s safety procedures when transitioning children in small groups from one location to another.
As one staff member brought a group of four toddlers into the building another staff member took the remaining children to the entrance doors. The Member was disinfecting the strollers and did not notice that one of the children had walked away from the group and was behind a screen playing with toys. The Member failed to count the children and verify attendance or perform the safety procedure before transitioning the children into the centre.
As a result, the child remained alone and unsupervised for approximately 22 minutes until he was noticed in the outdoor play area by a member of the public who notified the centre’s management. The member failed to realize the child was missing until shortly before the Centre’s manager brought the child back inside.
Finding: In its decision, the panel found that the evidence supported findings of professional misconduct.
The Member was found guilty of several acts of professional misconduct (Ontario Regulation 223/08), including failing to supervise adequately a person who was under her professional supervision; failing to maintain the standards of the profession; acting or failing to act in a manner that, having regard to the circumstances, would reasonably be regarded by members as disgraceful, dishonourable or unprofessional; and conducting herself in a manner that is unbecoming a member.
The panel stated: “Had the Member taken appropriate action and followed policies and procedures, the incident could have been prevented.”
Penalty: The Committee directed the Registrar to suspend the Member’s certificate of registration for six months and to impose terms, conditions and limitations on the Member’s certificate of registration. The Committee also required the Member to appear before it to be reprimanded and ordered the Member to pay $1,000 to reimburse the College for a portion of the prosecution and hearing costs.
The full decision can be found here, linked under the heading “Special Notices”.
Yujie Chen, RECE #104371
Facts: The Member pled guilty to professional misconduct. Following an uncontested hearing, the Discipline Committee accepted the following admissions as facts.
On the afternoon of December 11, 2020, while the Member was responsible for supervising a group of toddlers, the Member bit a child’s left forearm in a prohibited attempt to discipline the child, after he had bitten the Member a number of times.
As a result of the Member’s actions, the child sustained an injury on his forearm, which included visible teeth impressions.
The Member applied ice to the child’s injury and reported the incident to the Centre’s management only after her room partner instructed her to do so.
Following the incident, the police laid an assault charge against the Member. The Member plead guilty to the charge of assault. The criminal court found the Member guilty of assault and ordered a conditional discharge with 18 months of probation.
Finding: In its decision, the panel found that the evidence supported findings of professional misconduct.
The Member was found guilty of several acts of professional misconduct (Ontario Regulation 223/08), including physically abusing a child who was under her professional supervision; psychologically and/or emotionally abusing a child who was under her professional supervision; failing to maintain the standards of the profession; acting or failing to act in a manner that, having regard to the circumstances, would reasonably be regarded by members as disgraceful, dishonourable or unprofessional; contravening a law, which contravention is relevant to her suitability to hold a certificate of registration; contravening a law, which contravention has caused a child who was under her professional supervision to be put at risk; and conducting herself in a manner that is unbecoming a member.
The panel stated: “It is never appropriate for RECE’s to mimic a child’s behaviour as a way of discouraging behaviour. It is never appropriate to bite a child.”
Penalty: The Committee directed the Registrar to suspend the Member’s certificate of registration for at least eleven months and to impose terms, conditions and limitations on the Member’s certificate of registration, including mandatory mentoring and coursework on building positive and responsive relationships with children and positive intervention strategies. The Committee also required the Member to appear before it to be reprimanded and ordered the Member to to pay $1000 to reimburse the College for a portion of the prosecution and hearing costs.
The full decision can be found here, linked under the heading “Special Notices”.
Lay Tu, RECE # 66234
Facts: The Member pled guilty to professional misconduct. Following an uncontested hearing, the Discipline Committee accepted the following admissions as facts.
The Member failed to follow policies and procedures when transitioning a group of toddlers in a fenced outdoor play area back into the building. The Member failed to count the children or verify attendance or perform the centre’s safety procedure when transitioning children in small groups from one location to another.
After a group of four toddlers were transitioned into the building without performing the required procedures, the Member took a child out of his stroller while another staff member disinfected the strollers. The Member placed the remaining children near the entrance doors and began singing and dancing with them. The Member did not notice that the child had walked away from the group and was behind a screen playing with toys. The Member failed to count the children and verify attendance or perform the safety procedure before transitioning the children into the centre.
As a result, the child remained alone and unsupervised for approximately 22 minutes until he was noticed in the outdoor play area by a member of the public who notified the centre’s management. The member failed to realize the child was missing until shortly before the Centre’s manager brought the child back inside.
Finding: In its decision, the panel found that the evidence supported findings of professional misconduct.
The Member was found guilty of several acts of professional misconduct (Ontario Regulation 223/08), including failing to supervise adequately a person who was under her professional supervision; failing to maintain the standards of the profession; acting or failing to act in a manner that, having regard to the circumstances, would reasonably be regarded by members as disgraceful, dishonourable or unprofessional; and conducting herself in a manner that is unbecoming a member.
Penalty: The Committee directed the Registrar to suspend the Member’s certificate of registration for six months and to impose terms, conditions and limitations on the Member’s certificate of registration. The Committee also required the Member to appear before it to be reprimanded and ordered the Member to pay $1,000 to reimburse the College for a portion of the prosecution and hearing costs.
The full decision can be found here, linked under the heading “Special Notices”.
Natalia Catalina Gomez, RECE # 51818
Facts: The Member pled guilty to professional misconduct. Following an uncontested hearing, the Discipline Committee accepted the following admissions as facts.
The Member and an Educational Assistant (EA) were responsible for supervising a group of seven toddlers. The Member left the toddlers with the EA to prepare snacks in the kitchen located at the other end of the building, and the EA began changing a child’s diaper in the washroom. While the Member was in the kitchen, one child left the toddler room, walked through several sets of doors and a porch gate which were not locked at the time, and left the Centre unnoticed by the Member or the EA. Approximately 6 minutes later, the mother of another child at the Centre found the missing child on a busy roadway and returned the child to the centre.
Finding: In its decision, the panel found that the evidence supported findings of professional misconduct.
The Member was found guilty of several acts of professional misconduct (Ontario Regulation 223/08), including failing to supervise adequately a person who was under her professional supervision; failing to maintain the standards of the profession; acting or failing to act in a manner that, having regard to the circumstances, would reasonably be regarded by members as disgraceful, dishonourable or unprofessional; and conducting herself in a manner that is unbecoming a member.
The panel stated: “Had the member properly followed the policies and procedures to properly plan for supervision, the incident could have been prevented.”
Penalty: The Committee directed the Registrar to suspend the Member’s certificate of registration for six months and to impose terms, conditions and limitations on the Member’s certificate of registration. The Committee also required the Member to appear before it to be reprimanded and ordered the Member to pay $1000 to reimburse the College for a portion of the prosecution and hearings costs.
The full decision can be found here, linked under the heading “Special Notices”.