Former Sudbury, Ont., teacher pressured student to lie about sexual relationship

Empty classroom. (File)

A sexual relationship with a teacher had a devastating impact on a former Sudbury student, a disciplinary hearing was told recently.

The discipline committee for the Ontario College of Teachers met May 29 to deal with the case of Trevor James German, now a former teacher with the Rainbow District School Board.

The committee reprimanded German and revoked his teaching licence for the sexual abuse of a student and for his actions during the investigation. The decision was announced in June but the full decision has since been released.

Uncontested facts in the case paint a picture of the teacher escalating his behaviour with the student, from calling her nicknames, paying her compliments and hugs he would give her when no one else was around.

At one point, he offered her a ride home, but told her “not to tell anyone and that he could get in trouble,” according to the decision.

“Following this, (German) frequently began driving Student 1 home after school or extracurricular activities.”

Other students began commenting on the amount of time the two began spending together. Matters escalated in June of the school year when the student graduated and they made plans to see each other.

The pair had sex at German’s house while his wife was at work three times over the summer. But when an investigation into his behaviour began at the start of the school in September, his behaviour changed.

He asked the student if she had told anyone what happened and told her to delete their text messages and call records.

“(German) told Student 1 that she needed to lie to the board for him and that she needed to protect him,” the test of the decision said.

“(He) told her that she had ruined his marriage and his teaching career.”

The student did lie for him, but German’s behaviour toward her changed. He yelled at her on the phone and told her that if his wife left him, “he would kill himself.”

In October, he told the student to write to the school board and tell them she had made everything up, which she did. He also lied to investigators, denying he had spoken to the student about her interview with the board.

In December 2018, German was fired. At that point, it became clear that the ordeal was having a profound effect on the student.

“(German) made the student feel guilty and told her that she was to blame,” the board said in its decision.

The student dropped out of school and moved to another community because she didn’t want to live in the same city as him.

German pleaded no contest to the allegations and was found guilty of professional misconduct.

Read the full decision here.