Teachers whose behaviour constitutes professional misconduct under O. Reg. 437/97 of the Ontario College of Teachers’ Act, 1996 or who otherwise fail to behave in a manner acceptable to the board (e.g. lates or unauthorized absences) may be subject to discipline.
“Off duty” conduct, that is, actions undertaken when a staff member is not at work, can also result in discipline, particularly for criminal offences.
Employees can be subject to employment discipline, including termination, for behaviour carried out on the Internet that contravenes such board policies as Human Rights and Workplace Harassment. Comments posted on social media accounts such as Twitter and Facebook, as well as blogs, websites, etc. are not considered to be "private", despite the intention of the writer. Negative comments about the employer-board and/or the principal, for example, could result in discipline for insubordination. Likewise, discipline may be imposed for employee misuse or misconduct on board-assigned electronic devices and/or portals.
If the principal has reasonable grounds to suspect that the behaviour of a staff member puts a child at risk of abuse, the principal has a duty to report the information immediately to the appropriate Children’s Aid Society. The district school board likely has an approved protocol to follow in this circumstance. If a staff member engages in harassment, the principal’s response will be guided by the board’s policy, e.g. Workplace Harassment, Human Rights or Workplace Violence Prevention. The principal will probably be required to carry out an investigation to ascertain the truth of any allegation.