An Ontario Teacher Who Had Sexual Encounters With Her 12-Year-Old Student Just Got Handed A Shockingly Mild Sentence
You might remember this shocking story that hit the media back in 2016. Elementary school teacher, 34-year-old Kyla Cowan-Wilson was charged and plead guilty to having sexual encounters with one of her 12-year-old students.
Well, the case finally came to a head yesterday when she received her sentence, one that even the Ontario Court Justice called "lenient".READ MORE:Ontario Teachers Will Now Lose Their Licence If Found Guilty Of Sexual Contact With Students
Ex-teacher handed 'lenient' 90-day sentence for sexual encounters with student https://t.co/QAHH8pm9napic.twitter.com/sNtXBNQVC0
Cowan-Wilson received a 90-day sentence which will only be served on the weekends. She will also spend two years on probation and must register as a sex offender. She must also submit a sample of her DNA to the National DNA Databank.
The backstory to the scandal dates all the way back to 2011 when the now-disgraced teacher with Ottawa-Carleton District School Board met her Grade 8 victim. The details of their inappropriate relationship were laid out in court.READ MORE:Toronto School Board Under Fire After Taking Five Years To Penalize A Teacher Accused Of Sexual Advances On Students
As a student who attended the middle school she was teaching at while this was going on all I’ve got to say is are you fucking kidding me?? 90 days??? A male teacher with a young female student would’ve been given a FAR worse sentence. We want EQUALITY and that includes this.
It started off with lengthy text messages. When the boy went off to high school, Cowan-Wilson convinced his mother to let her help coach him in basketball.
She would pick him up and drive him to a parking lot where she would straddle and fondle him. She also bought him alcohol and sent him racy photos of herself in lingerie. She told the boy she loved him and that she wasn't happy in her marriage.
Shameful. Sexual assault needs to be taken seriously no matter the gender of the offender or the victim.
The inappropriate affair came to an end when the boy's sister found a love letter Cowan-Wilson had written him for his 15th birthday.
The ex-teacher ended up pleading guilty to a single count of sexual assault. Because of that, charges of sexual interference and sexual touching were dropped. This is the ultimate recipe for her lenient sentence.
If you think it sounds like a slap on the wrist, you're not the only one. Canadians have taken to social media to proclaim their outrage. Many are pointing out what they're calling a double-standard, "Imagine what a man would have got??" one Twitter user stated.
Shameful, she should have had the book thrown at her. She ruined a young man’s life
The victim, who is now 19-years-old, hasn't been named due to a publication ban. However, according to his mother who spoke to the media outside the courthouse, he feels anger, guilt, and shame since the encounters.
“This process isn’t over today for (my son) and our family. There is a lifetime of healing ahead for us. No sentence could satisfy us," she said.
*Cover photo used for illustrative purposes only.Source:Twitter, Ottawa Citizen
