An 87-year-old former elementary school teacher in Burlington has been convicted of sex crimes against five former students.
On Tuesday, Feb. 25, Barbara Joan Baxter was found guilty of sex crimes at Milton courthouse. She will remain on house arrest until her sentencing on May 20. The trial began Feb. 10.
In 2023, Baxter was charged with sexual offences by Halton Regional Police. After first being charged in two cases, three more victims came forward.
She faced charges of seven counts of gross indecency and four counts of sexual assault.
Baxter was an elementary school teacher in Halton from the 1960s to 1990s. She had been a teacher at the Hamilton board in the 1960s.
One of Baxter’s victims, whose identity is protected by a publication ban, has launched a civil lawsuit against Baxter and the Halton District School Board (HDSB), his lawyer Aaron Lealess announced in a Feb. 27 press release.
The man’s lawyer says he was a student in Baxter’s Grade 8 class at Pineland Public School in the 1980s. In June 2022, he reported it to police.
In his press release, Lealess said the victim was subjected to abuse by Baxter on an ongoing basis during his Grade 8 year, 1982. The psychological impact of the abuse was devastating; he dropped out of school in Grade 9 and suffered a host of abuse-related problems including anxiety, depression, PTSD, relationship problems and substance abuse issues. He reported the abuse to the school authorities, but instead of getting help, he was suspended for a week, alleging abuse against Baxter. Baxter, Lealess said, had a long career as a teacher, completing Teacher’s College in 1958.
In the press release, Lealess said there may be other victims who will come forward.
“The brave individuals who came forward through the criminal process are merely the tip of the iceberg with respect to the totality of Baxter’s abuse,” Lealess said in the release.
His lawyer is seeking a full investigation by the board to determine the extent of the abuse, the number of victims and potentially any other red flags that may have been ignored.
Lealess asks anyone who saw, suspected or experienced abuse by Baxter to report concerns to officials or Lealess by phone or [email protected].
RELATED STORY: Police charge 86-year-old woman with additional historic sex offences
