Talk to the Teacher or Principal First
When a member of the public expresses a concern about a member of the College,
the College’s Investigations and Hearings department will encourage the complainant
to talk to the teacher, principal of the school or a board official, if appropriate.
Many cases are resolved in this fashion, and no complaint is ever formally made.
Submit a Complaint in Writing
A member of the College or of the public may file a formal complaint with the
College. College staff will investigate the matter if it relates to professional
misconduct, incompetence or incapacity and all pertinent material will be
submitted to the Investigation Committee for its consideration. A complaint must be in writing and the complainant must provide his/her name,
address and telephone number, as well as the nature of the complaint, the name of
the member and any other pertinent information. Anonymous complaints are not
investigated by the College.
Informing the College Member
If the Investigation Committee determines the complaint falls within the College’s
jurisdiction, the member is informed of the complaint and is given an opportunity to
respond in writing by a stated deadline. If necessary, OPC legal counsel will request
an extension of the time in which to respond. The College investigator will share a
copy of the response with the complainant, who is given the opportunity to reply to
the response. The complainant’s reply is not shared with the respondent.
Dispute Resolution
Most complaints are first considered for their suitability under the Dispute Resolution
Program, which is voluntary and requires the consent of both parties. The College
uses dispute resolution to facilitate the resolution of complaints without a full
investigation or full hearing. All parties must agree to participate in dispute
resolution; the result must be in the public interest and the outcome must be similar
to that which a hearing would have produced. Not all complaints are deemed
suitable for Dispute Resolution by College staff.
Investigating the Complaint
If the matter is not resolved via the Dispute Resolution Program, the College will then
conduct an investigation, which could include interviewing witnesses. At the end of
the investigation, the investigator will prepare a report for the consideration of a
panel of the Investigation Committee. Each panel includes two members of the
College and a public appointee, and together they will consider all of the information
placed in their hands by the investigator.