Civics Lesson

A judge has found former Toronto teacher Mary Gowans not guilty of sexual assault and sexual interference. Gowans had been charged with having a sexual relationship with a 15-year-old student. But Judge John McMahon said there were "significant and troubling" inconsistencies in the boy's testimony. Gowans says the charges destroyed her life, and she still faces a disciplinary hearing from the Ontario College of Teachers. A representative of that agency told the press that the burden of proof in a disciplinary hearing is not as high as it is in a court.