Parents of students enrolled with the Simcoe Muskoka Catholic District School Board (SMCDSB) voiced their concerns Tuesday night about a priest working in local schools after sex-related charges stemming from an alleged incident in 2023 were withdrawn earlier this year.
The meeting, held Nov. 5 at St. Mary’s Catholic Church on Amelia Street in Barrie, was at times tense as parents pressed the school board’s director of education, Frances Bagley, and Father Larry Leger, a priest with the Archdiocese of Toronto, for answers to their questions.
About 50 people were in attendance, including parents and other school officials.
Father Neil Pereira, 34, was arrested by Peterborough police on July 26, 2023, and charged with sexual assault and two counts of sexual interference involving a minor. The charges were later withdrawn.
According to the Criminal Code, sexual interference is when a person, for a sexual purpose, touches, directly or indirectly, with a part of the body or with an object, any part of the body of a person under the age of 16.
Pereira had been working in the city of Peterborough since late 2022, and is currently on loan to work in local SMCDSB schools.
According to a statement from Rev. Bishop Daniel Miehm of the Diocese of Peterborough on July 26, 2023, the diocese “received an allegation in June of sexual and professional misconduct involving Fr. Neil Pereira. The allegation was immediately reported to the Children’s Aid Society and the Peterborough Police Services. Fr. Pereira was removed from pastoral ministry upon receipt of the allegation.”
Several months later, in a joint statement from the Diocese of Peterborough and Archdiocese of Toronto dated March 12, 2024, the two organizations stated that “the Office of the Crown Attorney recently withdrew all charges against Fr. Pereira.
“As the charges have been withdrawn and the criminal investigation and process have been concluded, the Archdiocese of Toronto will conduct its ecclesial investigation in accordance with its policy,” the statement said.
The Diocese of Peterborough and the Archdiocese of Toronto noted they “worked closely throughout the process ensuring full co-operation with the authorities.”
They also noted Pereira is entitled to due process.
“We recognize that any allegation of misconduct against a priest is newsworthy. At the same time, it is essential to update stories and reports to reflect that the charges have been withdrawn to assist in restoring the reputation of Fr. Pereira,” the statement added.
Parents at Tuesday night’s meeting voiced their concern with the process and the decision by the school board and the diocese to fully reinstate Pereira, allowing him to continue working in SMCDSB schools alongside their children.
Bagley told the audience the school board is “caring for your most precious gifts — your children — and you need to feel and know that they are being safely cared for in the schools that they attend.”
She said the meeting was to present “background and facts, explaining processes, and addressing the many questions that were provided to us in advance of this meeting, and an opportunity for (parents) to ask questions and seek further clarification if needed.”
A main point of contention was the interpretation of charges being withdrawn as opposed to charges being dropped.
Both Bagley and Leger insisted Pereira was “cleared” of wrongdoing, while many parents argued the definition did not mean Pereira was deemed innocent of the charges.
Charges being “withdrawn” means the Crown decided not to pursue a prosecution.
“It does not convey anything about why that decision was made, and it is not a declaration of the merits of the case one way or the other,” Lynne Saunders, Crown attorney for Simcoe County, told BarrieToday when asked, generally speaking, to clarify the meaning of charges being withdrawn.
“As for the term 'dropped,' it means the same thing, but is more of a colloquialism or slang term,” she added.
During last night's meeting, Leger stressed “Father Neil did not do what he was accused of doing. It’s not like he went close to the edge and came back. No. There was no substance at all to the accusation and so the charges were withdrawn.”
“It’s a question of terminology and it is very important that you are very specific and clear with exactly what happened,” said one man in the front row.
“So the charges were withdrawn and that is as much as I know,” Leger answered.
“I don’t think that’s enough,” another man said.
The parents also asked why Pereira was not in attendance at the meeting.
Leger said, “I asked Neil not to be here, so that he wouldn’t have to face a number of people who might be antagonistic and angry.”
Leger and Bagley were then asked if the parish would consider moving Pereira to a role that doesn’t involve regular interaction with school children, to minimize any potential discomfort or concern.
Leger said St. Mary’s is a large parish in the Archdiocese of Toronto.
“I can’t serve all of the schools alone, and so Neil has been restored to full ministry," Leger said.
He also said an independent board “weighed in on their consideration of this and feel completely and unanimously in favour of restoring Neil to full ministry.”
Not many in attendance were impressed with the explanations they heard.
“A lot of valid questions were asked tonight,” local parent Brent Theriault told BarrieToday after the meeting. “It sounds to me like they’re not going to change course and I’m hoping we have another one of these (meetings).
"I don’t think anyone here is satisfied with the outcome," he added.
