Former students testify of kisses, hugs from band teacher

Two former students of high school band teacher Roger Jabbour testified Monday he subjected them to kisses and hugs in his office after class on numerous occasions.

Jabbour, 65, faces eight sex-related charges of sexual assault and sexual touching involving three complainants who were under 18 at the time of the alleged offences, between Sept. 2012 and June 2015. He has pleaded not guilty to all the charges against him.

The first young woman to take the stand in Charlottetown provincial court Monday described how she used to meet with Jabbour after class in his office and music practice room at Colonel Gray High School, often with the door closed.

She said they talked about her progress with the band program, but over time she took on the role of confidant, with Jabbour airing his frustrations about the band program, other students and his personal life.

At first Jabbour would hold her hand during these meetings, but that progressed to back rubs and hugs, and later kissing her face and neck, she said.

Eventually, he began pulling her into his lap so she was straddling him on his chair and then he would press against her, she told the court, and say he loved her.

She said these office incidents happened at least once a week — but sometimes daily — for more than a month.

Emails exchanged, court hears

She also testified that Jabbour took her and another female student to a restaurant, twice, and watched a movie with them at the other student's house while her parents were not home.

She also told the court that Jabbour would email her nightly, at first from a school account but later from an account not connected to the school. On one evening, they exchanged more than 100 messages.

She said Jabbour would become angry when she didn't reply to his emails or disagreed with him and it became her role to calm him down.

She testified that she became so anxious and stressed that by April or May of the school year she finally told him to stop emailing and touching her — and he responded by accusing her of seducing him.

That made her feel as if she had done something wrong, and she told the court she became anxious and scared and developed an eating disorder.

She left the band program at the end of the school year.

Defence questions recall, details

On cross-examination, Jabbour's lawyer, Joel Pink, questioned the woman's recall of specific dates, details and locations involved in the allegations, including the location of office furniture.

She confirmed that she had talked to two other former students about her decision to go to the police and encouraged them to consider doing the same.

Jabbour's lawyer suggested she provided details of what happened to her to those other students, but she denied doing that.

Responding to Pink's questions, the woman also confirmed Jabbour did hug other students. But when questioned further by the Crown, said that the hugs Jabbour gave her were different — they were full body hugs, sometimes pushed up against the wall, when no one else was around.

Second witness has similar story

The second complainant also said she did extra work for Jabbour and that he emailed her almost every night, often chatting on email until 2 a.m.

She also testified she met with Jabbour before and after class. 

"We would often hug. It started as a friendly hug," she told the court, "but it became longer and longer hugs" with kisses to her neck or cheek. She said he also made her kiss him on the cheek.

She testified Jabbour told her not to tell anybody about their relationship saying people wouldn't understand.

She told the court she and the first witness were friends and also testified that Jabbour had taken them both out to dinner and that the three of them had watched a movie at her home when her parents weren't there. 

She said she tried several times to end her relationship with Jabbour but he would get upset and sometimes cancel band practice.

Once the school year was over, she called an end to their email chats, and she said he showed up to confront her. 

Third complainant to testify next

The third complainant is expected to take the stand Tuesday morning.

Jabbour retired from his teaching job at Colonel Gray in November.

A publication ban protects the identities of the complainants.

The court has not yet heard any evidence from the defence.

The trial is scheduled to last all week. 

Jabbour also faces two other charges of sexual touching involving a fourth female complainant. The trial on those charges is scheduled to be held on Sept. 14.

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