Grant Park teacher charged with sexual exploitation

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This article was published 27/02/2020 (1666 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

A teacher at Grant Park High School is facing charges of sexual exploitation involving a student.

Winnipeg Police Service spokesman Const. Rob Carver said Thursday he did not want to use the word “relationship,” but confirmed there was more than one alleged incident between the 16-year-old student and 27-year-old woman, who was also charged with sexual assault and supplying liquor to a minor.

The alleged offences happened between Dec. 1, 2019, and Feb. 8.

Police declined to reveal the gender of the student, in an effort to protect their identity, nor release the name of the teacher, for the same reason.

A 16-year-old cannot consent to sexual acts with a person of authority, including a teacher.

In July 2019, Winnipeg police released the name of male teacher Ishmael Mustapha, then 46 and an instructor at University of Winnipeg Collegiate high school, when he was accused of sexual assault involving students.

When asked why he was named and the female teacher in the Grant Park case was not, Carver said: “I don’t know, I didn’t write that press release,” referring to the Mustapha case.

The Crown stayed the charges against Mustapha in December 2019.

On Thursday, Carver said multiple students were supplied alcohol by the Grant Park teacher, but no other alleged victims have come forward with claims of sexual assault.

He also said it isn’t normal procedure to release the name of the school in cases such as this, but authorities wanted to give parents with children in other schools peace of mind.

“We wanted to do everything we could to make sure we didn’t identify any of the victims, but we also didn’t want parents pulling their hair out worrying that it might have been their kids’ school,” he said.

Police still have at least one student to interview as part of the investigation, Carver said. “We don’t think they (interviews) will result in new victims. However, there is the potential that someone else could come forward.”

The Winnipeg School Division could not give more information about the teacher nor the case, said senior information officer Radean Carter.

The division’s critical support services are being made available to students, she said. “Winnipeg School Division is co-operating fully with the Winnipeg Police Service in their investigation.”

Carter could not confirm whether the teacher in question has been fired.

Police said she was released under orders not to contact the victim, be around other minors, use the internet or seek employment or volunteer work that would put her in a position of authority over a minor.

city.desk@freepress.mb.ca