Teacher who sent inappropriate texts to students found guilty of sexual misconduct
Disgraced former York Catholic teacher Ryan Imgrund's teaching certificate was permanently revoked after he was found guilty of sexual misconduct against six young women - five of them students - through inappropriate text messages that included shirtless and nude photos of himself.
The penalties for Imgrund - who gained notoriety during the pandemic as a self-styled biostatistician - were decided Monday in a disciplinary hearing by the Ontario College of Teachers into accusations from the female students and a family friend.
It obviously removes the member from the profession entirely," said college counsel Danielle Miller, who called Imgrund's behaviour so alarming, on so many levels, and so brazen" that there is a concern about him being around teenage girls.
Miller noted the inappropriate behaviour began in 2005 with the family friend, and continued more than a decade later with complaints from students starting in 2017.
Even after he was formally warned by a York Catholic District School Board superintendent about texting students, Imgrund frequently messaged the girls - who he also coached in basketball - about personal issues outside of school hours and into the evening, the hearing heard, and asked intrusive" personal questions.
Miller said Imgrund never saw the error of his ways."
He made a commitment to the superintendent" to stop texting students inappropriately, Miller said, adding he could not have had any misunderstanding about what the professional expectations were." Despite that, he continued and even increased the online extent" of a relationship with one student.
In 2005, pictures were sent to an 18-year-old family friend out of the blue," the hearing heard. In them, Imgrund is shown holding his penis in his hand and naked on his back holding a beer bottle next to his penis. (While she was not a student of his, Imgrund was a teacher at the time, so his off-duty conduct can be subject to the standards of the profession.)
Imgrund, who was self-represented but did not appear at the hearing, voluntarily pleaded no contest to the allegations.
On Monday, Imgrund wrote on social media that the Ontario College of Teachers threatens to impose charges of $10,000 per day on teachers who want to publicly address allegations against them, even when these allegations lack credible evidence. This organization is less interested in unearthing the truth and more focused on punitive measures and tarnishing the reputation of educators."
He was referring to hearing costs that teachers may have to cover if they are found guilty.
This approach by the (college of teachers) should raise significant doubts in the public about the fairness and impartiality of this organization," Imgrund wrote. The unfortunate reality is pleading no contest is less daunting course of action than participating in a costly hearing which will be biased and prejudiced."
Miller told the hearing that by removing (Imgrund's) easy access to school-age girls, it protects the public" and also sends a message to other teachers that sexual abuse encompasses behaviour and remarks of a sexual nature, like sending an inappropriate photograph and cultivating a personal relationship."
Imgrund resigned as a member of the college in 2022.
Starting in 2017, Miller said Imgrund behaved childishly and inappropriately" with the 15-year-old girls he coached at Newmarket's Sacred Heart Catholic High School, encouraging them to leave their hotel room while the team was on a trip, and urging them to meet him at the pool. When they did not respond, he repeatedly texted them on their personal cellphones and banged on the ceiling of his room - the floor of theirs - to get their attention.
He also asked a student to send him a photo wearing less clothing, passed judgment on how she looked, and asked one student to tell him he was good looking. When she said no, he hounded her until 2 a.m. to get a response, the hearing heard.
Imgrund invited one student over for dinner and to spend the night if she wanted, and took her for rides in his car, the hearing was told. He was invested" in the relationship, Miller said, adding in some text messages he sounded like a teenage boy, flirting with a girl."
He was also accused of practising one-on-one with three of the student athletes, using a technique requiring the students to push their buttocks up against" his crotch area, Miller said.
Miller said Imgrund took advantage of the students to fulfil his own personal needs and sexual desires."
Imgrund was a teacher for almost two decades. During the COVID-19 pandemic, he garnered a large following with his sometimes controversial commentary and at one point was a frequently cited source for pandemic-related news, including in the Star, where his data was used for stories on COVID-19 risk assessment.
Kristin Rushowy is a Toronto-based reporter covering Ontario politics for the Star. Follow her on Twitter: @krushowy
Rob Ferguson is a Toronto-based reporter covering Ontario politics for the Star. Follow him on Twitter: @robferguson1