Articles

The Ontario Court of Appeal released its recent decision in Ontario English Catholic Teachers’ Association v Ontario (Attorney General). The majority of the ONCA ruled that the Protecting a Sustainable Public Sector for Future Generations Act, 2019, known as Bill 124, was unconstitutional in so far as it applies to unionized employees.

On January 25, 2024, the OBA hosted a program exploring the use of technology in the education sector and the potential privacy implications. Co-Chaired by Danielle Douek, partner at Lerners LLP, and Christiane Saad, director of the University of Ottawa's Law Practice Program, the session brought together experts to discuss the evolving landscape of technology in education and the associated legal and practical challenges.

The Supreme Court of British Columbia recently dismissed a Plaintiff’s claim for vicarious liability against the defendant school board which had arranged for private tutoring sessions with a tutor who later sexually abused the Plaintiff.

This Divisional Court decision involves a successful motion to strike a parent’s claim against a school board for failing to disclose a reasonable cause of action and for being an abuse of process and vexatious under Rule 21.01.

In 2023, the Supreme Court of Canada considered a defamation case revolving around the public criticism of transphobic and homophobic comments made by a school board trustee. The decision of Hansman v Neufeld emphasized the importance of counter-speech and recognized the trans community is a marginalized group deserving rights and protections under Canadian law.

The article summarizes an interview with Diana Cooke, Director, Children and Youth Unit at the Ontario Ombudsman.

The Government of Ontario recently proposed significant changes for the education sector in Bill 98, the Better Schools and Student Outcomes Act, 2023. This article reviews some of the most significant proposed amendments to the Education Act and other statutes.

While federal bills generally do not impact the operations of provincially regulated school boards, Bill C-27 will require a higher degree of protection for the personal information of minors. This article outlines some of the considerations for school boards if this Bill becomes law.

A recent decision of the Ontario Divisional Court found that it was unconstitutional for a Catholic school board to require that its student trustees be Catholic.

Teachers must behave professionally and respect boundaries in their relationships with students; however, a failure to do so is not necessarily just cause for dismissal. Before dismissal, the school board may be expected to provide guidance on the boundary between being a “caring adult” and inappropriate conduct.