Second mental health worker at Welland school charged with assault

A Niagara Regional Police logo is seen in Ottawa, on Sunday, Sept. 28, 2025. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Spencer Colby

A second mental health worker at a Welland, Ont., school has been charged with assault.

On Friday, Niagara Regional Police gave an update on their investigation into allegations that mental health counsellors at Mountainview Centre for Innovative Learning were using “restraint techniques that were outside of their scope of training” on a child.

Police said 26-year-old Natasha Bennett was arrested earlier in the day and was charged.

Her arrest came a day after police announced another mental health worker at the school was charged with assault in connection with the investigation.

Police said on Thursday that their investigation determined that the actions by the counsellor amounted to “excessive use of force and assault.”

According to police, the school, located at 1604 Merrittville Hwy., uses a teacher and a mental health counsellor in each classroom “to provide specialized programs for children with various mental health and learning challenges.”

Police said there may be more victims and are asking anyone with information to come forward.