Alberta’s government says it’s reviewing the case of a boy who was hit by machine belt as part of school discipline known as the “strap.” Education Minister Demetrios Nicolaides says the review will help determine whether further action is required. “The safety and well-being of students is my top priority,” he said in an email Wednesday. Alberta RCMP announced this week that a 37-year-old woman who was school supervisor in the province’s north has been charged with assault with a weapon after a parent reported on May 20 that their son had bruising and red marks on his thigh from being disciplined at school. The RCMP said the child was left with red marks on his thigh. Police then searched a school in mid-June and found a machine belt, similar to a timing belt on a motor or another machine, rather than a pant-worn belt. Police said investigators have also learned that three Mennonite schools were using the strap to discipline students, and that parents had been made aware of the practice in a collective constitution they signed. The schools are Blumenort Mennonite School, Wilson Prairie Mennonite School and Tompkins Mennonite School. RCMP said the educators at the schools are not accredited teachers but are considered adult supervisors. Alberta’s Education Act indicates that registered independent schools are funded by the province, and are not required to use certificated teachers or to teach the Alberta programs of study. The schools are required to provide copies of its rules for discipline to its students and their parents. The rules must “incorporate the principles of fundamental justice,” the act states. The education minister has the authority to investigate registered independent schools, and shut them down if the school doesn’t comply with the province’s regulations. On Wednesday, RCMP added no one else has come forward with assault allegations, but the school community has been informed what constitutes a Criminal Code violation. “Should more victims come forward, we will open another investigation,” Cpl. Mathew Howell said. This report by The Canadian Press was first published Aug. 5, 2026.
