Currently our children attend the Thousand Islands Elementary School in Lansdowne, Ontario. We have always placed our trust in the school to provide a safe and supportive environment for them.

On May 21, 2024, our childrens Junior Kindergarten class participated in a local event called “Touch a Truck,” which was within walking distance of the school. While walking back, the supervising teacher, Mr. Colin Sacco, instructed the children to undress "only undies" and play in a public community splash pad.

The splash pad was not on the itinerary therefore the children did not have swim suits, parents had no prior knowledge therefore couldn't even opt out.

We were later contacted by the school about this incident, and the principle at the time aplogized profusely. After speaking with both the school and our children, it was confirmed that Mr. Sacco had indeed told the children to strip down to " only undies" and “go have fun” while he watched from the sidelines. This was done without any parental consent or prior notice and in a public setting that was accessible to anyone. To say this was a violation of trust would be an understatement. We were — and remain — shocked and disturbed by this situation.

While we were relieved that Mr. Sacco was not present at the school during the 2024–2025 academic year, we have now been informed that he is returning to the school. We cannot understand how a teacher who exhibited such poor judgment, especially involving the care of 5-year-old children, is allowed to return to a supervisory role.

We are requesting immediate clarity on the following:

Was this incident formally investigated?

What was the outcome of that investigation?

How has the safety and well-being of students been prioritized in the decision to allow Mr. Sacco to return?

Our children love there school, and we do not want to uproot them from there environment or there friends. However, the idea that this individual will again be placed in a position of authority over young children is deeply troubling.

We have asked the school to NOT have our children under the care of this individual however there are no guarantee!

We respectfully ask that this situation be reviewed and that appropriate measures be taken to protect the trust families place in Thousand Islands Elementary and the UCDSB. We would appreciate a response as soon as possible!

We are a small sized group of parents being ignored and we are hoping that this petition will give us some attention from the school board and superintendent!!

Need further confirmation of this incident? The superintendent email is casey.nelson@ucdsb.on.ca email and ask for yourself!

Lastly, if you want to sign but worried about the small town people, just unselect to show your name online!!

Thank you