Eight Students Expelled Following Alleged Sexual Assault With Broomstick

Update: This post has been updated to include new information released by Toronto police Friday afternoon.

Toronto police are investigating a number of incidents of alleged assault and sexual assault at St. Michael’s College School and are concerned there are more victims.

Police made the announcement late Friday, after allegations surrounding three incidents, including an alleged sexual assault of a student with a broomstick, surfaced earlier in the week.

The prestigious private all-boys school, a Roman Catholic institution, has expelled eight students in connection with the alleged assaults.

The school has a released a timeline outlining how it became aware of three separate incidents involving its students and the actions it took afterward. The timeline reveals that despite becoming aware of a video depicting a student allegedly being sexually assault on Monday, November 12, the school did not report the video to police until Wednesday.

City News, which first reported this story,

Police have described the video of the alleged sexual assault in the locker room as child pornography. The video is being circulated, police said in a news release earlier in the week.

Toronto police have told media they began investigating after reporters contacted them seeking comment on the videos—not as a result of receiving information from St. Mike’s.

Administrators were made aware of a third incident on Thursday, which they reported to police, the school says in the timeline. It did not detail the nature of the incident.

While the school did not specify which students were involved in the videos, the timeline says administrators and football coaches met with parents and members of the junior football team on Thursday. Students who spoke to CP24 described the incidents as part of hazing ritual. The school, which serves grades 7-12, has confirmed it has cancelled its junior football season.

As of Friday, an increased police presence remained on campus.

In a statement posted to its website, St. Mike’s said its community is “heartbroken.”

“We understand and share the anger and distress that such horrible acts could happen on our school grounds involving boys in our care. It is unacceptable and falls far short of upholding the principles we strive to live by.”

Police are encouraging anyone with information to contact them.

Follow Manisha Krishnan on Twitter.

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