The Ontario College of Teachers is holding a disciplinary hearing against a former Newmarket teacher who allegedly sexually harassed students while working for the York Catholic District School Board. The college has issued a notice of hearing regarding Ryan Imgrund for various misconduct violations under the Ontario College of Teachers Act. These alleged violations include abusing a student psychologically or emotionally and sexually abusing a student. The hearing has not yet been scheduled, with the notice dated August 18. The offenses have not been tested in a disciplinary hearing or court. NewmarketToday has not received a response from Imgrund by the time of publication. The list of complaints said that while on a sports trip in 2017, Imgrund acted inappropriately toward four students of a girls’ group by engaging in a private group chat, texting their phones late at night and asking the students to meet him at the pool. late at night. The notice also alleges Imgrund had an inappropriate relationship with a student between 2017 and 2021, which included private messages, shirtless photos of him and taking photos of the student, including one in her swimsuit. “If you don’t say I’m nice, I’m going to cry,” the hearing notice states Imgrund allegedly told a student. The Newmarket teacher left the York Catholic District School Board in March 2021, according to his LinkedIn. After gaining notoriety for his pandemic statistical analysis and being featured in numerous news articles, he became a full-time biostatistician and corporate consultant. Clinical research organization and consultancy dicentra hired Imgrund for its scientific advisory board in November 2021. NewmarketToday did not receive a response to a request for comment from the York Catholic District School Board by press time. The report alleges that Imgrund did several other inappropriate things regarding the student with whom he had an inappropriate relationship. These included asking to borrow the student’s shorts to wear on Halloween and asking a guidance counselor to place the student in his class. The release also alleges he transported students on long trips alone in his personal vehicle. The notice of hearing redacted the names of the students and some of the details of the allegations to protect their identities. A hearing date has not yet been set. If found guilty under the Ontario College of Teachers Act, penalties may include revocation of any certificate under the Act and a fine of up to $5,000. If the misconduct involves sexual abuse, the college could also seek restitution to pay for the treatment of student victims. However, Imgrund resigned from the teachers college on 8 June. NewmarketToday will provide updates on this story as it develops, including the results of the hearing.
