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.
Bushra Hasan, RECE # 40531
Facts: The Member pled guilty to professional misconduct. Following an uncontested hearing, the Discipline Committee accepted the following admissions as facts.
On a cold December day, the Member and an Early Childhood Assistant (“ECA”) were supervising a group of twelve preschool-aged children on the outdoor playground. After spending an hour on the playground, the Member failed to conduct a headcount when transitioning the children back into the child care centre for lunch. As a result, the Member did not notice that a two-year-old child, who was not wearing snowpants, had been left alone and unsupervised outside on the playground. The child remained unsupervised for 35–40 minutes in 4 degree Celsius weather before the Member and ECA realized that the child was missing and brought the child back inside.
Finding: The panel found that the evidence supported findings of professional misconduct.
The Member was found guilty of several acts of professional misconduct pursuant to 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 noted that while the Member was one of two employees supervising the children on the day in question, the Member and her ECA colleague failed to work together to ensure the supervision of the children under their care. Further, as an RECE, the Member had the responsibility to ensure that all children under her care were supervised at all times.
Penalty: The Committee directed the Registrar to suspend the Member’s certificate of registration for seven months and to impose terms, conditions and limitations on the Member’s certificate of registration, including mentorship. 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”.
Robert Tomas Phippard, RECE # 65288
Facts: The Member pled guilty to professional misconduct. Following an uncontested hearing, the Discipline Committee accepted the following admissions as facts.
The Member raised his voice and spoke harshly to a preschool-aged child, which made the child cry. The Member forcefully grabbed the crying child by the upper arms and roughly shook them and asked how they would like it if someone pushed them. The Member stopped shaking the child only after a colleague intervened. The child was emotionally impacted by the Member’s treatment and required therapy.
The Children’s Aid Society (“CAS”) verified the incident and determined that the Member displayed limited caregiving skills and encouraged the Member to seek additional training and education before working with children again.
Prior to this incident, the Member had been warned about using inappropriate and unnecessary physical contact with children, including holding children in his lap and tickling them. The Member also called a child his “girlfriend” and referred to himself as the child’s “boyfriend.”
Following this incident, the Member began working at another child care centre where he continued to make inappropriate, unnecessary and/or uninvited physical contact with children. CAS investigated this pattern of conduct but did not verify any allegations against the Member.
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 pursuant to Ontario Regulation 223/08 under the Early Childhood Educators Act, 2007, including verbally abusing a child who was under his professional supervision; physically abusing a child who was under his professional supervision; psychologically and/or emotionally abusing a child who was under his 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 himself in a manner that is unbecoming a member.
The panel found that by forcefully and aggressively interacting with children, by engaging in improper and unwarranted touching of children, and by singling out some children for favoritism, he failed to maintain the standards of the profession.
Penalty: The Committee directed the Registrar to suspend the Member’s certificate of registration for at least twelve months and to impose terms, conditions and limitations on the Member’s certificate of registration including extensive coursework and mentoring. 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”.
Tanya Kathleen Freamo, RECE # 22856
Facts: The Member pled guilty to professional misconduct. Following an uncontested hearing, the Discipline Committee accepted the following admissions as facts.
While supervising preschool aged children over the course of approximately five months, the Member and another RECE engaged in a pattern abusive behavior toward the children under their supervision which included forcefully and aggressively grabbing children by their arms, wrists or clothes, pushing the children’s backs and pulling and/or dragging and/or lifting the children off the ground, yelling at children while close to their faces, and using derogatory and abusive language toward children.
The Member and her colleague also inappropriately punished children. For example, they yelled at and belittled children for having toileting accidents and they left children alone and unsupervised in the hallway with the door of the classroom closed.
On one occasion, the Member and her colleague stood by as a child choked until they vomited and then blamed the child, saying they deserved it for putting too much food in their mouth. The Member and her colleague then failed to report the incident to the parents or the child care centre. They told the parents the child could not return to the centre until they had a Covid test. The Member and her colleague also made negative comments to the children about their parents.
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 pursuant to Ontario Regulation 223/08 under the Early Childhood Educators Act, 2007, including failing to supervise adequately a person who was under her professional supervision; verbally abusing a child who was under her professional supervision; 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 found that the Member failed to model professional values, beliefs and behaviours with children, families and colleagues. The Panel also found that she failed to understand that her conduct reflects on her as a professional and on her profession at all times.
Penalty: The Committee directed the Registrar to revoke 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”.