'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. 

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.