Judge sentences former Winnipeg teacher to 5 years for 'inherently wrongful' relationship with student

WARNING: This article contains details of abuse.

A former teacher at a Winnipeg high school has been sentenced to five years in prison, after she was convicted of sexual assault following what a judge called an "inherently wrongful" months-long relationship with a teenage student.

Chasity Findlay, now 39, began her relationship with the then 15-year-old boy after he "confessed his feelings to her" in a classroom in 2015. It quickly progressed to sexual intercourse, a written sentencing decision handed down Sept. 16 said. Findlay was 30 years old at the time.

That continued regularly over at least four months, until the teen ended the relationship with the English teacher by text message following his grandmother's death when he was 16 — which the teen testified was in part because "he was no longer able to use his caring for his grandmother" as an explanation "to get away to be with Ms. Findlay," the decision said.

The teen testified that after the relationship ended, Findlay "left him notes in his schoolwork or gestured to him in class indicating her wish to resume the relationship," which the decision said led to the teen's "own reckless behaviour in increased drinking, including drinking and driving."

Provincial court Judge Anne Krahn said Findlay's moral culpability for the crimes was high, because she was in a position of trust over the teen as his teacher, but "eagerly accepted" and acted on his confessions of his feelings for her.

"The circumstances of the offence before me are inherently wrongful," Krahn wrote.

"Ms. Findlay was an intelligent woman who, as an educator of teenagers, knew she was in a relationship of trust and authority with all of her students, a trust which she breached.

"She knew this was wrong because they talked about the need to keep the relationship a secret."

Findlay, who was also convicted of sexual interference, maintained her innocence throughout the trial and argued she was the victim of violent sexual assaults by the student — evidence Krahn said she did not believe.

"In my view, Ms. Findlay has distorted thinking and needs to see herself as a victim in many different scenarios. This must be addressed in treatment, as part of the sentence," the judge wrote.

The former student, his mother and grandfather all submitted victim impact statements for Findlay's sentencing, which detailed how he felt ashamed for lying to his family and friends during the relationship, and now finds it challenging to trust in authority, has lost his self-respect and struggles with anxiety and depression.

"Therapy is helping me understand that I lost the chance to know normal throughout my teen years like my friends," he wrote.

Court records show Findlay's lawyers filed a notice of appeal this week. 

The teen also filed a lawsuit against Findlay and the school division where she worked in 2021. That matter is still before the courts.

Teacher will 'have to pay for what she did': grandfather

The former student's grandfather, whom CBC News is not naming because of a publication ban that prohibits sharing information that could identify the victim, said his grandson and the rest of their family were satisfied with Findlay's sentence.

"At least she's going to have to pay for what she did. She's not being able to walk away from this," the grandfather said. "She'll be away from any young people, and that's really important to us."

The grandfather said he hopes Findlay's case helps get across a message about the kind of situation his grandson was in, the consequences of which have a lasting impact and can take away a teen's ability to learn how to socialize normally.

"If you rob them of those opportunities, that's lifelong. They don't have a do-over," he said.

The decision said the victim "resisted coming forward for years, as he blamed himself for the offending behaviour and still felt he cared for Ms. Findlay," and noted Findlay referred to him as her "husband," while he called her his "wife."

The impact statements also detailed the "exacerbation of harm" caused by the trial and Findlay's allegations that the student "was a violent rapist," which the family described as dehumanizing.

Findlay, who has no previous criminal record, worked in the school division where the offences happened from 2008 to 2018. She left after intimate images of her that she sent to the teen after their relationship ended began circulating in the community, the decision said. He denied knowing how the images got out.

Findlay went on to work as a resource teacher in another school division for three years and was placed on leave with pay after the division learned of the lawsuit filed against her by the victim in 2021.

After her arrest later that year, she was placed on leave without pay. Findlay resigned in January following her conviction, and now works as a restaurant manager and on her family's farm, the decision said.

She was assessed as a low risk to reoffend, a finding the decision said was contributed to by "the fact Ms. Findlay will never be in a position to teach again."

Findlay was also prohibited from contacting the former student during her sentence and was banned for the next 10 years from "seeking, obtaining or continuing" jobs or volunteer work that involve being in a position of trust or authority toward a person under 16.

She will also have to comply with Manitoba's Sexual Offender Information Registration Act for the next 20 years.

For anyone who has been sexually assaulted, there is support available through crisis lines and local support services via the Ending Violence Association of Canada database. ​​If you're in immediate danger or fear for your safety or that of others around you, please call 911.