Mr. Lithgow was some serious Vintage Meat

(he's in the middle)


A Discipline Committee panel held a public hearing on May 21, 2008 into nine allegations of professional misconduct against Terrence T. Lithgow for grooming and sexually exploiting a female student.

Lithgow, who was certified to teach in 1978 and worked as a high school teacher for the York Catholic DSB, did not attend the hearing and was not represented by counsel.

The panel heard evidence that Lithgow engaged the student in inappropriate phone and computer chats, bought her gifts, and pursued a personal relationship over three years resulting in sexual activity and intercourse at school, in a park and at a motel. He pleaded guilty and was criminally convicted of sexual exploitation and Internet luring resulting in a 15-month jail sentence and a conditional sentence of 12 months followed by probation. The court also ordered Lithgow to attend assessment, counselling and treatment for sexual offending.

The College’s Discipline Committee can accept as proof that a person committed an offence if he or she was convicted in a Canadian court, there is no contrary evidence and an appeal has not been granted.

Having considered the evidence, onus and standard of proof and the submissions of College counsel, the panel found Lithgow guilty of professional misconduct and directed the Registrar to revoke his Certificates of Qualification and Registration.

The panel decision said that Lithgow began an inappropriate relationship with the student while she was in his Grade 9 and 10 classes, chatting and e-mailing in a manner that became increasingly sexual in nature. The pattern continued the next year when he served as her tutor and led to sex on many occasions.

“The member exercised emotional control over the student by telling her that he loved her, giving her gifts and alcohol, and making her promise not to tell anyone about their activities,” the panel wrote.

“The fact that he used his position of trust in order to create a long-term pattern of abuse, control and sexual exploitation of his student requires that he receive the maximum penalty, revocation of his Certificates of Qualification and Registration,” the panel said. “The member, by his abuse of a student, has brought the profession into disrepute and has lost the trust of the public.”