A teacher from Bernard-Gariépy high school in Sorel-Tracy was filmed “without his knowledge” by students while he was in the shower. Videos captured by a student were then shared online. The Sûreté du Québec has opened an investigation.
The facts occurred at the beginning of the week, this Monday. In a letter sent to parents on Tuesday, the school administration claims that “one or more students” have “taken on video, without their knowledge and without their consent, a teacher while he was in the shower in the locker room “.
It states that “the teacher had then, as it should, taken care to ensure that all the students had left the locker room and used the private shower”. “Following the capture of these images, the student would have shared the video with several classmates, who would, in turn, have shared the images with other students,” writes the director of the Center de services scolaire de Sorel-Tracy, Christian Lacourse, and the lawyer representing the organization, Laurence Cournoyer.
It is a parent who would have made management aware of the circulation of videos on social networks, aware of the last hours.
Possible criminal charges
In its missive, the management maintains that “both the capture of the video and its sharing represent voyeurism and the non-consensual distribution of intimate images, which are offenses under the Canadian Criminal Code”. The school says it is collaborating with the Sûreté du Québec (SQ), an investigation being underway “to identify all those involved”.
At the SQ, spokesperson Stéphane Tremblay confirms that an investigation has been opened, also recalling that there could be criminal offenses involved, or even charges. “Two young suspects were met by our investigators at the end of the day today. At the moment, we have no arrests. But we remind people who may have received the video to delete it, and not to share it, since continuing to share it also constitutes an offense under the Criminal Code, ”insists Mr. Tremblay.
Director Christian Lacourse invites parents to check with their child if the latter “holds these images”. “In such a case, please immediately ensure that they are permanently deleted. Any storage or sharing, whether by sending these images or simply by showing them to others, could also make you criminally responsible, ”he insists.
“We are also counting on your collaboration in order to make your children aware of the consequences of this type of behavior, behavior that can in no way be tolerated by the School Service Center,” he wrote again.
Overall, management says it is treating the case “with the utmost seriousness”. “Safety nets are currently being analyzed and put in place to avoid this type of case,” reads the letter sent to parents. “We are on site and available for your child if he feels the need to speak with a trusted adult about this kind of situation”, we insist in passing.
Anyone with relevant information in connection with this file is invited to contact the SQ’s Criminal Information Center, by dialing 1-800-659-4264. You can be assured of confidential treatment at all times.