Toronto teacher gets house arrest, curfew for sexually assaulting 16-year-old student

An Ontario judge sentenced former Toronto teacher Tin-Gee Wong, 39, to a conditional sentence of two years less a day of house arrest and a curfew for sexually assaulting a 16-year-old student at his Scarborough high school.

Wong will spend the first 18 months under house arrest and the remainder of his sentence with a curfew. The former teacher will also be on probation for three years and put on the federal Sex Offenders Registry for 20 years, the Toronto Star reported on Dec. 11.

The sentence was mutually proposed by the prosecution and defense. A second charge of exploitation was dropped after Wong agreed to plead guilty last November.

In her victim’s impact statement to the court, the assaulted woman, now in her mid-twenties, said she continues to ask “why I was chosen by you and what I did to deserve this.”

Wong was both a teacher and a coach to the woman at the Toronto District School Board high school. Wong, who identifies with they/them pronouns, was considered a "gender equity champion", the Star noted, who believed “it's important to create an inclusive classroom environment where everyone feels safe to take risks, and participate in order to learn to grow and develop a healthy, active lifestyle.”

The court heard that Wong told the student of being attracted to her as the teacher fondled her body and breasts. The victim’s sister went to Wong at a sporting event and demanded that the teacher admit his wrongdoing.

Wong currently works as a delivery person and landscaper. Ontario Court Justice Jonathan Bliss told the victim Monday that “you should feel guilty for nothing.” He said Wong has lost his license to teach “as it should be.”

The victim's identity cannot be revealed due to a publication ban. She read her victim’s impact statement directly to Wong, who stared at the floor. She said Wong’s assault had left her feeling alone and distraught while she felt betrayed by his crime.

“You took all my time and attention away from the important things in life. As a teenager, I cringe and feel full of disgust when I think of how you were the first person to touch me intimately,” the woman said.

“As a teacher you have a major role in shaping children’s lives and helping them succeed. But you failed me as my teacher and coach.”

Wong responded to the woman’s testimony by saying, “I would just like to say I'm sorry.”