A Whitby elementary school teacher accused of sexually assaulting students is facing 14 new charges after several other alleged victims came forward.
Police in Durham Region allege that the suspect engaged in “inappropriate relationships” with students while working as a teacher at Robert Munsch Public School. All of the alleged victims were under the age of 16, police say.
They first charged the suspect with eight counts of sexual assault and eight counts of sexual interference back in March.
The new charges stem from allegations made by “several more victims,” police say.
“After putting out a media release, more victims came forward and we laid more charges,” Const. George Tudos told CP24. “It’s always important to have an open dialogue with children. Sometimes you may get messages from kids about these things.”
A suspect identified as Thomas Grieve, 39, was charged again Tuesday with seven counts of sexual assault and seven additional counts of sexual interference, bringing the total number of charges to 30.
According to police, Grieve also taught at E.A. Fairman Public School and coached numerous sports teams, including the Female Under 18 team for the Durham Rebels Volleyball Club. He also worked as a supply teacher and taught at night and summer schools.
He appeared in court via a video link in Oshawa on Tuesday. He was released on bail.
The charges have not been proven in court.
When the first set of charges were laid in March, the Durham District School Board sent a letter home to parents saying they were aware of the investigation and would be co-operating with police.
"The Durham District School Board (DDSB) confirms that a teacher at Robert Munsch Public School in Whitby has been charged by the Durham Regional Police Service with sexual assault and sexual interference. The DDSB has cooperated with the Durham Children’s Aid Society and the Durham Regional Police Service throughout their respective investigations. The school sent a letter home to parents and guardians today to provide an update. We will continue to work with our community partners until this investigation is concluded. All students and parents with information have been directed to contact the officer in charge of the investigation."
On Tuesday, the DDSB sent CTV News Toronto a statement saying "the teacher is presently off on leave. The Board is gathering information and will determine next steps at the conclusion of that process."
Officers want to ensure there are no other victims and are asking anyone with information to contact the Child Abuse Sexual Assault Unit at 1-888-579-1520 ext. 5323.
