A former North Vancouver school support worker will not face criminal charges following an investigation into an incident in which the woman allegedly slapped a Grade 5 student at Norgate elementary in the face.
Instead, Crown counsel has determined the issue will be dealt with outside of the criminal court system through a restorative justice process, said Cpl. Richard de Jong, spokesperson for the North Vancouver RCMP.
The support worker will not be returning to the classroom in North Vancouver, however. During the investigation into the incident, the employee decided to retire, said John Lewis, superintendent of schools.
An incident between the support worker and the student happened in December on school grounds, but not in a classroom.
The employee was placed on leave following the incident.
In a letter to parents that went home in December that advised them of the incident Lewis noted, “It is the school district’s expectation that all students are treated in a respectful and caring way. It is also important that the parent community feel comfortable sending their children to our schools.”
