Case of Errine Renata Acciaroli

Case of Errine Renata Acciaroli

(AKA: Shlomit Acciaroli)

Special Education Teacher - Westmount Secondary School - Hamilton, Canada

Found guilty of professional misconduct for kissing a 10th grade student after asking him to make love to her and showering him with gifts, e-mails, phone calls and visits to his home.

A disciplinary panel at the Ontario College of Teachers ruled that Errine Renata Acciaroli, also known as Shlomit Acciaroli, 59, sexually abused the student and that she "was unfit to carry out her professional duties" as a teacher.

A penalty will be announced at a later date which could include the loss of her teaching certificate. Hamilton police investigated the student's claims and no charges were laid, said Acciaroli, who was fired in January 2004.

Acciaroli, who now runs a Hamilton bed-and-breakfast.
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Table of Contents: 

1985

1. Certificate of Qualification (06/28/1985)

2005

1. Hearing Schedule  (10/17/2005)
2. Kissing teacher gets nailed  (10/18/2005)
3. Bed and Breakfast  (10/20/2005)

2006

1. Panels of the Discipline Committee have ordered summaries of recent disciplinary cases to be published in Professionally Speaking (03/2006)

2010

1. Teacher-student sex is nothing new, or unusual (01/21/2010)

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Certificate of Qualification
Ontario College of Teachers - June 28, 1985
http://www.oct.ca/pubreg/memberresults.aspx?Member_ID=235274

Erinne Renata Acciaroli Issued: June 28, 1985
Name History Registration Number: 235274

Erinne Renata Acciaroli - Status Good Standing

Degrees

• Bachelor of Arts University of Guelph, Ontario 1985
• Bachelor of Education University of Toronto, Ontario 1985

Program of Teacher Education

• Professional education program completed in Ontario Faculty of Education, University of Toronto, Ontario 1985
• Basic Qualifications
• Primary Division July, 1988
• Junior and Intermediate Divisions French June, 1985

Additional Qualifications

• Special Education, Specialist Gifted (basic) August, 1999
• French as a Second Language, Specialist May, 1988
• Special Education, Part 2 Learning Disabilities (basic) August, 1987
• French as a Second Language, Part 2 April, 1987
• Special Education, Part 1 August, 1985

Status History

• Certificate Type Status Effective Date Expiry Date
• Certificate of Qualification Good Standing July, 2002
• Certificate of Qualification Good Standing May, 1997
• Ontario Teacher's Certificate Good Standing June, 1985

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Hearing Schedule
Ontario College of Teachers - October 17, 2005

http://64.233.183.104/search?q=cache:gMsqrlmcIfsJ:www.oct.ca/investigations_hearings/hearing_schedule.aspx+Shlomit+Acciaroli&hl=en&ie=UTF-8


The schedules of public disciplinary hearings of the College include the dates and times of the hearings and will be posted two weeks prior to a hearing. The hearings will be conducted at the Ontario College of Teachers, 121 Bloor St. East, Toronto, Ontario.

Cases posted on our web site have been fully investigated by the Investigation Committee and referred to the Discipline Committee for a hearing.

Operating in the public interest is key to the College's work. The legislation governing the College of Teachers requires that disciplinary hearings be open to the public. Prior to the College's formation, disciplinary matters were not open to public scrutiny.

For more information on a disciplinary hearing of the Ontario College of Teachers, contact Lois Browne, at 416-961-8800, ext. 620 or toll-free at 1-888-534-2222, ext. 620 or by e-mail at lbrowne@oct.ca.

The numbers of seats in the hearing room is limited to 30 and seats will be assigned on a first-come, first-served basis.

We strongly recommend you call Lois Browne a day or two before a hearing as hearings may be rescheduled at short notice.

...

Erinne Renata Acciaroli (also known as Shlomit Acciaroli)

Hamilton-Wentworth
October 17, 2005

Subsection 5
Failing to maintain the standards of the profession.


Subsection 7
Abusing a student physically, sexually, verbally, psychologically or emotionally.


Subsection 14
Failing to comply with the Act, the regulations or the bylaws.


Subsection 15
Failing to comply with the Education Act or the regulations made under that Act, if the member is subject to that Act.


Subsection 18
An act or omission that, having regard to all the circumstances, would reasonably be regarded by members as disgraceful, dishonourable or unprofessional.


Subsection 19
Conduct unbecoming a member.

Displaying a lack of knowledge, skill or judgment or disregard for the welfare of students that demonstrates a lack of fitness to carry out professional responsibilities.

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Kissing teacher gets nailed
College: She's guilty of professional misconduct for pursuing student
By BRODIE FENLON
TORONTO SUN - October 18, 2005


A former Hamilton high school teacher was found guilty of professional misconduct yesterday for kissing her Grade 10 student, asking him to make love to her and showering him with gifts, e-mails, phone calls and visits to his home.

A disciplinary panel at the Ontario College of Teachers ruled that Errine Renata Acciaroli, also known as Shlomit Acciaroli, 59, sexually abused the student and that she "was unfit to carry out her professional duties" as a teacher.

A penalty will be announced at a later date which could include the loss of her teaching certificate.

Acciaroli, who now runs a Hamilton bed-and-breakfast, did not defend herself at the hearing or send legal representation.

But when contacted by The Sun late yesterday after the ruling, Acciaroli denied she had ever abused the student. She said the student, who can't be named under a publication ban, was depressed and made the allegations out of spite and misinterpreted an innocent kiss.

"It's absolutely false ... It's a bunch of lies."

Hamilton police investigated the student's claims and no charges were laid, said Acciaroli, who was fired in January 2004.

In the 2000-2001 year, Acciaroli was a learning resource teacher at Westmount Secondary School. The student was then 17 years old and in need of remedial help. He was living by himself.

The student testified yesterday that at the end of 2000, he was invited to Acciaroli's home for a sleepover on a Friday so he could learn more about her Jewish faith. He testified that after a traditional Jewish Shabbat dinner, he "froze" when Acciaroli kissed him on the mouth for "half a minute to 45 seconds."

"At one point, she said, 'You're not saying yes, but you're not saying no either,' " he testified. "She asked if I wanted to make love to her. I said no. She asked if I just wanted to lie with her. I said no." The student testified that he was so shaken he fled.

Acciaroli admitted "she may have crossed the line" by inviting him into her home. She claimed the kiss was a "Shabbat kiss" similar to one she gave her rabbi.

She denied asking the teen to have sex.

The College heard that Acciaroli made repeated attempts to call or visit him.

In a March 2001 e-mail read into evidence, he pleaded with her to stop her phone calls and "unscheduled visits," noting he was depressed and prone to fits of "uncontrollable weeping."

But the messages continued -- even after the student and his parents complained and a school board investigation was launched.

In an online conversation in April 2001, Acciaroli wrote, "Yes, I loved you and in spite of what you've done, I still love you." She noted that desire "happens between men and women; there are attractions," and that she had felt temptation.

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Bed and BreakfastBreakfast at Tefferet's
http://www.bbcanada.com/6538.html
http://www.tifferets.com/


Address: Contact:
25 Mountain Ave, Hamilton, Ontario, L8P 4E8

Phone : (905) 522-3060

Toll Free Phone : (866) 522-3060

Your Host(s) : Shlomit Acciaroli, Mirella Fortman

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Panels of the Discipline Committee have ordered summaries of recent disciplinary cases to be published in Professionally Speaking 
Professionally Speaking - March 2006

Member: Erinne Renata Acciaroli

Registration Number: 235274

Decision: Certificates Revoked

A panel of the Discipline Committee held a public hearing October 17, 2005 into allegations of professional misconduct against Erinne Renata Acciaroli, otherwise known as Shlomit Acciaroli. Acciaroli was certified to teach in 1985 and was employed as a learning resource teacher by the Hamilton-Wentworth District School Board. The member did not attend the hearing nor was she represented by counsel.

Acciaroli faced eight allegations of professional misconduct related to inappropriate conduct with male students.

In the absence of the member, the chair of the panel entered a plea of not guilty on Acciaroli's behalf.

The panel heard that during the 2000–01 school year, Acciaroli was a learning resource centre teacher at a high school. Her role was to support students identified with exceptionalities through the Identification, Placement and Review Committee.

A former student at the school where Acciaroli taught testified that he met her outside the school on a number of occasions including at his home and at hers. The student said that on one occasion, when Acciaroli had invited him to her home to learn more about Judaism and Sabbath customs, the member kissed him. Although he stopped her and became upset, she asked him to go to bed with her. The student then left.

The student said that, following the incident, he was uncomfortable in Acciaroli's presence in the learning resource centre and called in sick if he thought he couldn't avoid meeting her. The student testified that Acciaroli made many calls to him, which he tried to avoid by checking the call display whenever he could.

Acciaroli also came to his home to deliver personal gifts on a number of occasions, some of them accompanied by cards or notes signed “Love Shlomit.”

The student told the panel that he felt that his failure to complete his secondary education was a direct result of his interactions with Acciaroli and the anxiety they produced in him.

College counsel presented evidence of a number of e-mails from Acciaroli to the student, most of them signed with the member's first name, in which she disclosed personal information about herself, her relationship with her family, employer and friends. Acciaroli also continued to communicate with the student after saying she would not.

A superintendent of the Hamilton-Wentworth District School Board told the panel that attempts to interview Acciaroli about the allegations resulted in one session with the member and her counsel, who ended the meeting. Acciaroli's employment was terminated in January 2004.

The panel found that Acciaroli was guilty of professional misconduct in that she violated the boundaries that should exist in the teacher-student relationship and engaged in sexual abuse in kissing the student and inviting him to make love to her.

The panel ordered that Acciaroli's Certificates of Qualification and Registration be revoked.

In its written reasons, the panel said that Acciaroli had the power to influence the conduct and actions of students and had exercised that power against the best interests of the student. Since Acciaroli did not attend to present a defence, the panel felt it could not determine if she would engage in similar misconduct if placed in a position of trust and authority over other students.

The decision of the panel appears on the College's public register.

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Teacher-student sex is nothing new, or unusual

By Rob

CanCrime - January 21, 2010

A small but “not insignificant” number of teachers in Ontario prey on students for sex. That was the conclusion of retired Ontario Court of Appeal judge Sydney Robins, who produced a nearly 600-page report into the abuse of students by teachers a decade ago. His findings seem forgotten in the breathless rush to report that a female Toronto elementary school teacher, Mary Gowans (inset), has been charged with sexually assaulting a former student. 

If Gowans is guilty, she’ll join a long list of female teachers caught having sex with students or seeking sex from vulnerable pupils, like Leanne Carla Hanselman, who had sex with a 17-year-old female student and sometimes had threesomes with the student and her boyfriend. Elizabeth Ann Jeffrey confessed her sexual relationship with a 17-year-old drama student she was tutoring, promising the mother of the student she’d stop it. She didn’t. Erinne Renata Acciaroli, who was a high school teacher charged with helping troubled students, tried to coerce a former student into having sex. She kissed him, then sent notes, gifts, and emails when he rebuffed her. Jennifer Elizabeth Allan was a private school teacher who went after a 16-year-old male student. She served him booze, kissed and cuddled. She was caught when emails were discovered. Tiffany Dawn Angus struck up a sexual relationship with a 16-year-old male student soon after she began her probationary high school teaching job. She bought and drank booze with the boy, kissed and hugged in the school library and had intercourse at his home. Caught by school officials, she refused to end the relationship. Supply teacher Heidi Franziska Coleman had sex with a 13-year-old male student. Annie Mary Markson told a 14-year-old male student she pursued that “the thought of you kissing/talking/breathing with another female except with me drives me crazy.”

There have been significant changes to oversight, investigation, and discipline for teachers since 1997, when an independent professional college was established. It made the discipline process mostly public. Once-secret deals that allowed teachers to shuffle between schools and school districts are a thing of the past. Discipline meted out to teachers caught exploiting or abusing students is now conducted in court-like hearings that are open to the public, with the results published in a college magazine and online.

The Robins report brought much needed attention to a mostly hidden and dramatically underreported issue. But the report didn’t make the problem go away. Talk frankly with female students at any high school and ask them about the “creepshow teachers,” the ones they all know to avoid.

If you’re looking for more research and advocacy around the issue, you’ll have a hard time finding it in Canada. This is a good starting point, a longstanding American organization dedicated to exposing and stopping teacher-student sexual abuse and exploitation.

Here’s my assessment of the Robins report, published a decade ago:

The Kingston Whig-Standard

Saturday, April 8, 2000

By Rob Tripp

Governments, school boards and other agencies must do more to protect students from sexual predators in the ranks of Ontario’s 144,000 teachers, says a retired Ontario judge.

“While the vast majority of educators are highly dedicated and caring individuals who seek to ensure a safe learning environment, there is a small, but not insignificant number of ‘bad apples’ who engage in sexual misconduct with their students,” concludes Mr. Justice Sydney Robins, in a mammoth report on sexual misconduct by Ontario teachers.

Robins’ 568-page report, nine months in the making, was released yesterday at Queen’s Park by Attorney General Jim Flaherty, who said he was “deeply disturbed” by the findings.

“His conclusion is, there’s a significant incidence of this conduct [by teachers] and there are problems of underreporting and the cases we do see are the tip of the iceberg,” Flaherty said at a news conference.

Robins was commissioned last May to study and make recommendations to prevent abuse and exploitation of students.

Robins’ findings echo the conclusions of a three-month probe of sexual misconduct in Ontario schools conducted by The Whig-Standard in 1997.

The newspaper found that school boards and school staff were poorly equipped to stop sexual abuse or respond to allegations against teachers, engaging in many cases in a conspiracy of silence designed to protect the reputations of teachers and institutions.

The case of a Sault Ste. Marie teacher, Kenneth DeLuca, whose abuse of students was concealed for roughly 20 years, was a key factor in the government decision last year to study the problem.

Robins made 101 recommendations aimed at making it easier to expose, prosecute and kick out of the profession teachers who sexually abuse their students.

The report calls for changes to the Criminal Code and a host of provincial laws, including the act that guides the operations of the Ontario College of Teachers. The changes would also close loopholes that allow teachers accused of misconduct to resign and move on to teach in other areas.

Flaherty said the province is moving swiftly on some recommendations, including:

• mandatory criminal background checks for anyone teaching or working in Ontario schools;
• urging prosecutors to make better use of a Criminal Code provision that could keep teachers convicted of sex offences away from children;
• changes to make courts less intimidating to child witnesses.

Flaherty said he has also written to his federal counterpart, Justice Minister Anne McLellan, asking her to implement changes to the Criminal Code.

Queen’s law professor Nick Bala, an expert on issues of child abuse and the law, was consulted by Robins during the preparation of the report.

“I think there’s a lot of really important, positive, constructive things here to better recognize and deal with the sets of issues,” Bala said, after reading an executive summary of the report.

Nearly half of the Robins recommendations, 45, are aimed at changes to federal and provincial laws.

“Our evidentiary laws, our procedural laws have often made it very difficult to prove abuse and we need to continue to review and monitor those laws,” he said.

Bala said a key to the success of the proposals is government commitment to provide resources, such as support for abuse victims and ongoing training for new teachers, child protection workers, police and prosecutors.

“Merely changing the law, while certainly important, is not going to solve the problems in our justice system unless we have training, which means resources,” he said.

Bala said he is concerned that the report does not address the lack of training for teachers, as students in faculties of education or during later years, in issues of student sexuality.

“Teachers have to have an understanding of adolescent sexuality,” he said, noting that there have been cases of high school teachers who defended themselves against sexual misconduct allegations by claiming that the student initiated the contact or wanted a sexual relationship.

The Robins report also suggests broadening the definition of sexual misconduct used by the Ontario College of Teachers to “offensive conduct of a sexual nature which may affect the personal integrity or security of any student or the school environment.”

The Ontario Teachers’ Federation, the umbrella group for the province’s teacher unions, pledged to help protect students.

“On behalf of the federation, we will be contacting the Ontario College of Teachers and other educational stakeholders to get started on the work of pursuing these recommendations,” said Barbara Sargent, president of the federation, in a release.

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