Accused of sexual interference, Nunavut teacher appears in Iqaluit court

An Aqsarniit Middle School teacher who faces three charges of sexual interference will be back in the Iqaluit Court of Justice June 3. (FILE PHOTO)

Defence lawyers for an Iqaluit teacher who faces three charges of sexual interference entered a plea of not guilty on his behalf May 6 at the Nunavut Court of Justice in Iqaluit.

The man, a teacher at Aqsarniq Middle School in Iqaluit, has another court appearance scheduled for June 3.

This past April 12, Justice Andrew Mahar of the Nunavut Court of Justice granted a request from the Crown to impose a publication ban that prevents news organizations from reporting the identity of the Iqaluit teacher, who was not present in court May 6.

The Crown wanted to adjourn the matter for a month or two, but Stevens asked for a week or two at the most.

“We do want this matter to proceed as quickly as it can,” said defence lawyer Laura Stevens, who also wanted to set a date for trial.

However, the Crown requested more time for discussion.

The bail hearing conditions for the Iqaluit teacher now allow him to leave Nunavut as long as he has a return ticket.

The man is also forbidden to be in the Aqsarniit Middle School between 7 a.m. and 6 p.m. He is not to have contact with persons under the age of 16.

But the teacher is allowed to attend Tae Kwon Do classes in Iqaluit.

Also on May 6, a lawyer representing the CBC via telephone submitted a notice of motion to overturn the publication ban.

“This has all risen very recently,” Stevens said.

John Solski, a Crown prosecutor, told the lawyer representing CBC that he suspects the issue of the non-publication ban can be resolved without a “full blown motion.”

The CBC motion was adjourned to the morning of May 10.

It’s a criminal offence for news organizations report the identities of complainants in cases involving sexual assault or sexual interference.

But the identities of accused persons in such cases may normally be reported, unless courts issue special publication bans.

The accused teacher’s identity, as well the school he works for, have been widely circulated in recent radio reports, online news stories and the Nunatsiaq News April 12 print edition, printed two days before the ban came into effect.

The RCMP announced the laying of charges March 29.

The Crown says the three charges of sexual interference will be handled in a summary conviction process.

The crime of sexual interference, under section 151 of the Criminal Code, relates to the actions of a person who touches the body of any young person under the age of 16 or a sexual purpose, indirectly or directly, with a body part or an object.

Any person guilty of that offence on summary conviction is liable to imprisonment for up to 18 months and a mandatory minimum prison term of 90 days.