A former St. Norbert Collegiate teacher, who was convicted of sexually assaulting a student, referred to him as her “husband” and convinced him they were engaged in a loving relationship, court was told during a sentencing hearing Wednesday.
“Life has not been easy as a survivor of sexual assault,” the victim said in an impact statement, which was read by Crown attorney Boyd McGill.
“She made me feel I was a man and that we had a life to look forward to, as long as I kept it a secret for now.”
Chasity Jenna Deah Findlay was 38 when she was found guilty last December of one count each of sexual assault and sexual interference for offences committed between 2015 and 2017, beginning when the victim was 15 years old.
She appeared before provincial court Judge Anne Krahn, who will sentence her.
The Crown is seeking eight years in custody, along with an order that would prevent Findlay from volunteering with youths below the age of 16 for 10 years.
Defence attorney Josh Weinstein recommended a maximum sentence of three-and-a-half years and contested the order. He argued that’s comparable to sentences in similar cases throughout the country.
Weinstein submitted 30 letters to the court written by Findlay’s friends and family. The documents attest to her “good character” and the ongoing support “bodes well” for her rehabilitation, he said.
He describes the Crown’s recommended sentence as a “cry for vengeance, not justice” and submitted a 44-page psychiatric report that found Findlay is at low risk to reoffend.
McGill countered by saying Findlay’s position of authority and the age difference between her and the victim should be considered aggravating factors.
“Next to perhaps the role of a parent, a teacher is up there at the highest rung of the ladder of what a position of trust can be,” he said.
The Crown stressed the impact the offences have had on the victim, his family and the public.
“It is no stretch for the court to see how an offence of this nature harms the entirety of the community of schools and educators.”
Court was told the victim instigated the relationship by professing his feelings for Findlay.
He had testified he became infatuated with her when he was in Grade 10 and confessed his love for her after two months of flirting.
The pair had sex at Findlay’s home the following day, beginning a relationship that continued until his 16th birthday when he ended it. It resumed briefly after he turned 18.
Throughout their time together, the pair referred to each other as husband and wife, he said in his impact statement.
“I was so hooked by, and addicted to, what I would now call porno-sex that my life went from zero to 100/mph and all I could think, see and feel was Chastity. I would have done anything to keep having her, but now I understand I was corrupted.”
At trial, Findlay denied having a voluntary sexual relationship with the victim and claimed the teen had raped her and threatened to kill her if she didn’t comply.
She maintained that position Wednesday, declining an offer from Krahn to address the court.
“My lawyer has spoken for me,” Findlay told the judge.
McGill said Findlay’s ongoing belief that she was a victim demonstrates a lack of remorse and insight. The fact that the victim participated in the sexual acts should not be a mitigating factor, he said.
Weinstein argued his client had a right to present her side of the story at trial, and doing so should not preclude her from a fair sentence.
“If she continues to adhere to the narrative that paints her as the victim… that does have to be taken into consideration,” Krahn said in response.
The sexual abuse came to light after the victim became an adult and disclosed the relationship to his mother and grandfather, who both submitted impact statements in court.
The victim and his family said he suffered lasting trauma as a result of the abuse.
He began engaging in “self-destructive and punishing” behaviour in his teens, such as drinking alcohol and smoking marijuana.
He has since struggled with anxiety, depression, low self-worth and has difficulty forming and maintaining healthy relationships, his statement said.
Findlay had no criminal record before being charged in December 2021. She has remained free from custody since then and hasn’t violated terms of her release.
Krahn will deliver the sentence on Sept. 16.
tyler.searle@freepress.mb.ca
Tyler Searle
Reporter
Tyler Searle is a multimedia producer who writes for the Free Press‘s city desk. A graduate of Red River College Polytechnic’s creative communications program, he wrote for the Stonewall Teulon Tribune, Selkirk Record and Express Weekly News before joining the paper in 2022. Read more about Tyler.
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