The former head of the discipline committee of the Ontario College of Teachers (OCT) is facing professional misconduct charges for his role in co-authoring a sexually explicit novel for teens.
Jacques Tremblay resigned his position as chair of the OCT's disciplinary committee, a position that involves overseeing sexual assault cases, in 2011 after his part in writing a soft porn novel titled “The Sexteens and the Fake Goddess” was exposed in a Toronto Star investigation.
The book “is a lurid tale of striptease, breast fondling, bum grabbing, orgasms, drugs and blackmail,” reported the Star's Kevin Donovan in the exposé.
The cover of the book depicts the backs of a boy and a girl naked from the waist up looking at a silhouette of the CN Tower.
The other authors of the book are identified as Tremblay's wife, Marie-Ange Gagnon, and Frederic Tremblay.
Following Jacques Tremblay's resignation the OCT launched an investigation into the situation, although the teachers' watchdog had earlier maintained that Tremblay’s writing did “not have an impact on his ability to act in the public interest.”
Tremblay himself had argued that his book was “entirely separate” from his work at the College and service to the public, saying the book was meant to “empower teenagers, to encourage them to be strong and resist or avoid peer pressure.”
However, in an article on his website Tremblay says the purpose of his novel is to help teens “find their inner voice” which will affect their “future sex life” because “having higher self-esteem below the belt leads to better sex.” He also warns teens that having negative attitudes about sex could have a “direct impact on orgasm.”
The OCT's investigation resulted in Tremblay being charged under the Ontario College of Teachers Act with professional misconduct for having “committed acts that, having regard to all the circumstances, would reasonably be regarded by members as disgraceful, dishonourable or unprofessional.”
The OCT Notice of Hearing states that Tremblay “permitted the marketing of the novel to teenagers . . . despite the fact that he knew or ought to have known that material in the novel was inconsistent with the standards, values or goals of the teaching profession and/or the education system.”
The particulars of the charges against Tremblay note that the novel he co-authored contains “sexually explicit content; sexualized descriptions of students; and negative descriptions and/or stereotyping of the attitudes, behaviours and conduct” of both students and teachers.
Tremblay was chair of the Ontario College of Teachers discipline committee from 2006 to 2011.
His current status with the OCT is “a member in good standing.”
At the time he co-authored the book Tremblay was employed by the Conseil des écoles publiques de l’Est de l’Ontario, the public school board responsible for education in the French language in Eastern Ontario, as a teacher at École secondaire publique Mille-Îles (Thousand Islands Public High School) in Kingston, Ontario.
While no date has yet been set for Tremblay's hearing, disciplinary hearings are open to the public and information about scheduled hearings is updated on the OCT website as it becomes available, or may be obtained by phoning the OCT at 416-961-8800, ext. 647, toll-free in Ontario at 1-888-534-2222 or by email at [email protected]
Hearings are conducted at 101 Bloor St. West, Toronto, Ontario.
The full text of the OCT Notice of Hearing of the charges against Jacques Tremblay is available here.