A Sarnia woman accused of intentionally hitting a toddler with a cupboard door while working at Sarnia's YMCA, had her case dismissed in the Ontario Court of Justice Friday.
Lisa Teft, 41, a former early childhood educator at the Jerry McCaw Family Centre, was charged by Sarnia police in June of 2019 with assault with a weapon involving a two-and-a-half-year-old child.
Police began a joint investigation with the Sarnia-Lambton Children’s Aid Society May 30 after the CAS was notified of an allegation May 29 by YMCA staff.
In an agreed statement of facts, court was told that three early childhood workers, including Teft, were in a room with approximately 15 children at the time of the alleged assault.
Teft had just returned to the room from lunch and began going through a cupboard when the child victim approached Teft and was struck by the closing cupboard door, causing a red mark above the child's left ear.
Teft had previously told the court that the incident was an accident and that she didn't realize what had happened.
Justice Anne McFadyen said the evidence from Ms. Teft was compelling and reliable, and that the injury sustained by the child was the result of an accident and not intended.
Teft's legal counsel, Sarnia lawyer Sarah Donohue, said she's pleased with the decision.
"I think that my client was completely vindicated. This is something that has weighed on her heavily over the past little while, and the court found that it was an accident -- not even that the court had reasonable doubt that it was an accident, she found that it was an accident, which I think is very important to Ms. Teft."
Donohue continued, saying this case never should have been brought into a courthouse.
"I think that it could've been an accident from the very beginning. Also, it was framed as a child abuse case -- this was not a case of child abuse, it was a charge of assault, which is different in my opinion. And so unfortunately I think it could've been framed as an accident from the very beginning, which I think her honour outlined that."
Donohue said despite today's result, a lot of damage has been done to both Ms. Teft's career and reputation.
"Ms. Teft is doing well now, she has moved on with her life, but obviously when things like this happen and charges like this occur and they're in the press as much as they are, there is reputational damage that comes from that."