Student Sues Convicted Teacher, Renee Gaudet - Updated

(Shediac, New Brunswick) Teacher Renee Florence Gaudet, now 32, is being sued by her victim, now 18. New Brunswick's Department of Education is also being sued.

The lawsuit says the teen suffered serious personal injuries as a result of the assault and is claiming damages against the two defendants, though no dollar figure is mentioned in the court document.

The injuries outlined include emotional and psychological trauma, loss of potential scholarships, delayed entry into the workforce resulting in future loss of income, difficulty in attending a school setting, difficulty maintaining relationships, low self-esteem, an inability to trust, alcohol and drug addictions and more.

The teen didn't graduate from high school and while he currently works, he had wanted to become an RCMP officer. […]

Gaudet is being sued for her assault on the boy while the Department of Education is being sued for failing to enforce and monitor Policy 701 which prohibits sexual encounters between teachers and students and also for failing to ensure proper controls were in place to protect students.

Gaudet's defense statement says the boy's problems were not caused by her but by a pre-existing or subsequent medical condition.

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Teacher Gets Jail on Appeal
[Previous 11/4/06 post]
(Shediac, New Brunswick) In November 2005, a 27-year-old teacher at Ecole Pere Edgar T. LeBlanc, Renee Florence Gaudet, pleaded guilty to sexual assault of a 13-year-old male student.

In January 2006, Gaudet was sentenced to two years house arrest and told to go to a mental health clinic for assessment and necessary treatment. She was also restricted from having any contact with the victim, his family, or anyone under 14 years of age.

Gaudet's sentence of house arrest was appealed by Crown Attorney Stephen Holt as too lenient. Holt argued that a male teacher convicted of the same crime would have been sent to prison.

This week, the Court of Appeals in New Brunswick agreed and ordered Gaudet to complete the remainder of her sentence behind bars. On Wednesday, Gaudet surrendered herself to authorities. She has 15 months left to serve.