Ottawa Catholic school principal charged with sexual assault against staff member

Principal charged with sex assault An Ottawa principal has been charged with sexual assault against a fellow staff member. CTV's Austin Lee reports.

An Ottawa Catholic School Board (OCSB) principal is facing charges of sexual assault for an alleged incident against another staff member last year.

Court documents say Martine Mitton, 60, was arrested on Jan. 12 on one count of sexual assault and one count of mischief/obstruct property.

The incident allegedly occurred on April 13, 2023. No other information was released in the court documents.

Mitton had been a school principal at St. John Paul II School in Ottawa's east-end, according to the school's website. An OCSB blog post said she previously worked at St. Clare School in Orléans.

A statement from the OCSB did not name Mitton but confirmed that one of their staff members is facing charges "related to a staff-related issue last year."

"As this matter is before the courts, the staff member is no longer working in any of our schools. We can also confirm that the issue is not related to students and is based on an isolated incident that will be reviewed through the judicial process," an Ottawa Catholic School Board spokesperson told CTV News in an email.

The school board did not comment further.

The identity of the victim is not being released as per a court publication ban. The charges have not been proven in court.

Mitton's profile on the Ontario College of Teachers website says she received her bachelor of arts from the University of Ottawa in 1985, a bachelor of education in 1986 and a master of education in 1994. The college lists Mitton in 'Good Standing' on its website.

Mitton's next court appearance is scheduled for March 28 in front of the Ontario Superior Court of Justice.