High school security guards accused of selling drugs - thestar.com - Toronto Star

Two security guards hired to supervise students at a Mississauga high school as a result of work-to-rule action have been arrested on drug charges and are alleged to have been selling marijuana to students on school property.

Peel Region police confirmed Tuesday that Kristijan Rados, 20, and Michael Wiszniewski, 19, were each charged with possession for the purpose of trafficking and breach of trust. Both men are from Mississauga.

Const. Erin Cooper said the two were arrested in a traffic stop off school property with a "large quantity" of marijuana.

The arrests followed a complaint on Dec. 4 by the parent of a student at Clarkson Secondary School, said Peel District School Board spokeswoman Carla Pereira. The arrests were made the same day.

The two men are "no longer placed in any Peel board school," Pereira said Tuesday.

Pereira could not say whether the guards were still employed by security company Securitas Canada.

When reached by phone Tuesday, Rados said he did not want to comment on the charges.

"To be honest with you, I don't really want to talk about it, other than innocent until proven guilty," he said. "When the court date happens, you'll know what actually happened."

When asked if he and Wiszniewski were still employed by the security company, Rados said, "Of course not."

Securitas Canada did not respond to repeated requests for comment.

The board brought in security guards at its high schools following labour action announced by the Ontario Secondary School Teachers' Federation, Pereira said.

As part of work-to-rule action, Ontario secondary school teachers were to withdraw from all voluntary activities by Dec. 10, arriving for classes no more than 15 minutes in advance and leaving after their final class, according to information posted by the OSSTF on their website.

In a letter sent to parents Nov. 23, Janet McDougald, chair of the school board and school trustee for Clarkson, said teachers had been directed not to supervise students outside of the classroom, apart from their professional responsibility to protect from reasonable risk or harm.

"All available resources — including extra occasional teachers, board office staff and two security personnel — will be provided to secondary schools to help them remain open for as long as we can ensure student safety," the letter said.

Ken Coran, OSSTF president, called the situation in Peel unfortunate.

He said he'd heard a number of boards were considering hiring security to help out in high schools in light of teachers' job action.

"A lot of times boards hire security personnel to make sure everything is safe, and that there are no problems with cars crossing picket lines and things of that nature, so it would not be uncommon," Coran said.

Pereira said two or three security guards have been in place at each of the board's schools since Nov. 26.

Guards were hired to supervise students on school grounds in areas where they gather outside classrooms, including cafeterias and bus pick-up and drop-off locations, she said.

David Hyde, a security consultant with Toronto-based David Hyde & Associates, said licensed security guards in Ontario are legally required to undergo a criminal background check and complete a basic 40-hour training course.

"Once they've gone through those steps, the company is not legally bound to do any more screening at all," Hyde said.

The Toronto District School Board said several of its schools have "school-based safety monitors" and that it does not require "security for supervision purposes during ongoing strike actions."

Pereira said it was a parent who made the complaint to Clarkson's administration a little more than a week after the security guards were placed there, though police say it was actually a student that came forward.

"A parent alleged the security personnel were selling drugs, but did not indicate that they were being sold to students," Pereira said. "As soon as we were made aware, school administration contacted police, who immediately initiated an investigation."

Wiszniewski and Rados have been released with a promise to appear in court on Jan. 17.

With files from Kris Rushowy