Ottawa Catholic school principal charged with sexual assault of staff member

An Ottawa Catholic School Board (OCSB) principal is facing a charge of sexual assault for an alleged incident involving another staff member that took place last year.

Court documents obtained by CBC News show Martine Mitton, 60, was arrested on Jan. 12 and charged with one count of sexual assault and one count of mischief.

According to court documents, the alleged offences occurred in April 2023. According to the documents, Mitton is not allowed to contact the victim or visit any place they are known to frequent, including their home or workplace.

No other information was provided in the court documents, which is under a publication ban to protect the identity of the victim.

Mitton previously worked at St. Clare School in Orléans, according to an OCSB article dated May 2022. She was also principal at St. John Paul II School in Ottawa’s east end, according to that school’s website, which still lists her as principal.

‘Not related to student’

In an emailed statement from OCSB in response to questions about Mitton’s charges, a spokesperson did not name her but confirmed that one of the school board’s staff members is facing charges “related to a staff-related issue last year,” and that the staff member in question is no longer working at any OCSB schools.

The spokesperson wrote that “the issue is not related to students and is based on an isolated incident that will be reviewed through the judicial process.”

The school board did not provide any further details.

Mitton’s profile on the Ontario College of Teachers website says she received a bachelor of arts in 1985, a bachelor of education in 1986 and a master of education in 1994, all from the University of Ottawa.

The college also noted that Mitton completed an online sexual abuse prevention program, that was made mandatory for all staff as of January 2022.

The charges against Mitton have not been proven in court. Her next court appearance is scheduled for March 28 in front of the Ontario Superior Court of Justice.