The head of the London Abused Women’s Centre is calling on the Thames Valley District School Board to launch a third party, independent investigation after one of the board's principals was charged with sexual exploitation and sexual assault.
Megan Walker made her request in a letter to Board Chair Matt Reid on Friday. It came just hours after news spread that H.B. Beal Secondary School principal Michael Deeb had been charged following an OPP investigation. The charges against the 49-year-old stem from allegations he kissed a female student between 2000 and 2001.
Word of the charges against Deeb led others with similar allegations to contact the abused women's centre, according to Walker.
"We have been advised in our office today that people reported Michael Deeb 20 years ago and their reports were dismissed and minimized," said Walker. "I would like to find out and I think the public deserves to find out who knew what and why was Michael Deeb at that point allowed to remain in a classroom with children."
Walker would not comment on exactly how many calls her agency received in relation to Deeb, but said they were from a mixture of alleged victims and whistle blowers. She says many of those individuals indicated they do not feel safe sharing their stories directly with the school board and would rather speak with an investigator from outside of the London area.
"London is a fairly small city. Everybody appears to know everybody," said Walker. "Mr. Deeb sat on a number of high profile boards. He was the principal of a school and it just seems to me that if we are really going to get to the bottom of the problem and determine how this was allowed to continue, we need to bring in somebody who doesn't have any connections."
Allegations of sexual harassment and abuse of power against Deeb first came to light last December through a Facebook post by local poet and teacher Najwa Zebian. She alleged Deeb abused his powerful position when she was launching her teaching career, pursued a personal relationship with her, and borrowed money from her.
Zebian also admitted to “developing a strong emotional attachment and dependency” of Deeb over time, even handwriting him a “deeply emotional” letter that she now feels shame over.
Since then, another teacher and a student also came forward with allegations against Deeb.
He has denied those allegations against him through his lawyer Faisel Joesph. On behalf of Deeb, a formal notice of intended action pursuant to the Slander and Defamation Act was served to Zebian in March.
The school board previously conducted an external review into Zebian's allegations but the results were not made public. However, both Deeb and Zebian continued to work for the board following the review.
Should the school board opt for another independent investigation into Deeb, Walker insists the results must be released publicly.
"Everybody hides behind confidentiality because of personnel issues but we need to remember that the rights of children always supersede those of adults," said Walker. "If we as a community are going to continue to have faith and trust in the Thames Valley District School Board we need to see the results of the investigation at the conclusion and we also need to know who will be accountable for what."
Amid the recent charges, Deeb, who is on a leave of absence from his position with the school board, resigned from the London Police Services Board. He is scheduled to appear in London court to answer to the charges against him on May 7.