A former Ontario teacher who has long been linked to white supremacists and neo-Nazis has lost his teaching licence in what observers consider a landmark case.
In a lengthy ruling released yesterday, the Ontario College of Teachers found Paul Fromm guilty of professional misconduct and revoked his licence.
Mr. Fromm was not accused of spreading his views in his classroom. But the college said his repeated off-duty offensive statements and appearances - he attended Heritage Front events, celebrated Adolf Hitler's birthday and shared a stage with David Duke, a former head of the Ku Klux Klan - poisoned the school environment.
"There are limits on freedom of speech that a teacher can engage in ... and still play the very important role that our society requires with respect to teachers," said the 53-page decision by a three-person disciplinary committee.