'Litany of troubling findings' in Hidden Valley school review: Yukon child advocate

Yukon's child and youth advocate is urging "substantial systemic change" in Yukon's education department after a damning review into how the government handled allegations of sexual abuse at a Whitehorse elementary school.

"The process of conducting this review has revealed a litany of troubling findings from classroom to central administrative levels," Annette King says in her written review, which was tabled in the Yukon Legislature on Wednesday and also posted online.

"These are all cracks in the system that have contributed and continue to contribute to safety issues in Yukon schools." 

King launched her review last year in the wake of news reports about the 2020 conviction of a former educational assistant at Hidden Valley Elementary School. William Auclair-Bellemare had pleaded guilty to one count of sexual interference against a student and was sentenced to six months' jail followed by two years of probation.

Auclair-Bellemare is also now awaiting trial on other criminal charges related to the alleged sexual abuse of two students. He's pleaded not guilty to all charges.

King's report does not focus on the specific incidents of abuse or alleged abuse at Hidden Valley, but rather "the inadequate policies and response" by the departments of Education, and Health and Social Services, and how that has affected students and families. It says the review was done through a framework that focused on children's rights.

"Through our review, it has become apparent how many [United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child] rights have either not been upheld or have been violated during this ordeal," the report states.

As part of the review, King spoke to community members including families of alleged victims and other children who attended Hidden Valley. She also spoke to educators and other school staff, government officials, First Nations organizations and RCMP. 

King's review was one of several into what happened. The Yukon government hired an independent investigator last year, who found that the government response to the case was "inadequate," particularly when it came to notifying parents. Premier Sandy Silver said in February that the government accepted those findings, and that work would begin "immediately" to address those issues.

Yukon RCMP also admitted last year to a "major, major error" in how it handled the case, and apologised for not doing more to identify other potential victims, earlier. 

'Incredibly poor handling of the situation'

King's report includes eight recommendations for the government, ranging from a more co-ordinated response to allegations of abuse at schools, to better sexual health education for students, to better monitoring and supervision of educational assistants — particularly those who work one-on-one with special needs students.

"It is hard to describe the feelings of pain, frustration, and helplessness shared with us in person, on Zoom, over the phone and in emails. People were hurt, and are still hurting, from YG's [the Yukon Government's] incredibly poor handling of the situation," King wrote.

"Accountability means demonstrating a commitment to the safety and wellness of children through actions and decisions where children are protected and their rights, views and interests are prioritized. The impacts on victims and families will be long-lasting and efforts to promote healing should be interdepartmental and comprehensive."

King's report details what happened both before and after Auclair-Bellemare's name became public in 2021.

She found that officials failed to follow protocols and policies for reporting allegations of abuse when they first came to light. That may have prevented more victims from being identified, and delayed help for victims in need of therapeutic supports, King wrote.

She also found there was a lack of therapeutic supports or a coordinated response to help victims. 

"The Advocate heard from numerous families and educators that access to services was not timely, sufficient, or developmentally appropriate," she wrote.

King's report also details how the system failed to protect the physical and emotional safety of special needs students, with a lack of developmentally-appropriate programs, resources, and training for educators. She also highlights a lack of accountability and oversight in one-on-one sessions with those students.

She also takes aim at the government's failure to communicate with families at Hidden Valley, and the general public, about Auclair-Bellemare's case. She says families have expressed "outrage, confusion and hurt" at being left in the dark for too long.

"The first formal communication to families from [the Education department] came over 1.5 years after the 2019 sexual assault was reported. Additionally, families of students who had moved schools report not being included in communication from [Education], even if their children had been in close contact with [Auclair-Bellemare]," the report states.

King also described another "glaring observation" from her review, that suggests warped priorities among government officials as scandal unfolded.

"In reviewing the records of emails sent between YG [Yukon government] employees in [Education, Health], and Justice in the months following the 2019 sexualized assault, the Advocate was troubled to learn that support for impacted students was rarely discussed," the report states.

"Put another way, it seems as if YG was more concerned with the legalities and labour implications of the incident, rather than the wellbeing of impacted students."

One of King's eight recommendations is that the government provide a public report outlining its response to her report by Nov. 22, and follow that with a progress report within 12 months.

She also notes that her report and recommendations can't fix what's already happened.

"Families have been left with questions about the impact of the abuse on their child. There are many questions families will never have answers to, including what happened to their child, what their child remembers, and what the long-term impacts of abuse could be," she wrote.