Editor's Note: UPDATE: Charges against former school trustee Howard Goodman have been dropped. Full details here.
An outgoing Toronto District School Board trustee has been arrested and charged with criminal harassment and forcible confinement.
According to police, Howard Goodman, 63, allegedly harassed a person from the fall of 2013 to now and on one occasion forcibly confined that same person. He was taken into custody on Wednesday and subsequently released on a promise to appear in court on Dec. 18.
Police have refused to say who Goodman allegedly harassed or where the crimes took place. However, sources have told CP24 and CTV that the alleged victim is Director of Education Donna Quan.
Goodman, who chose not to run in the most recent election, was previously accused of intimidating Quan when fellow trustee Sam Sotiropoulous launched a formal complaint in February.
That complaint, which was made about Goodman’s behaviour at a meeting on Feb. 26, prompted the TDSB to bring in an off-duty police officer to stand guard during a subsequent meeting.
Following the complaint, Goodman also wrote a letter to Quan in which he said that he “apologizes without reservation” if she thought his behaviour “went beyond the sort of passionate discourse that is common in all political environments.”
The TDSB refused to comment when reached by CP24 Wednesday afternoon, saying it was a police matter now.
In a statement sent to CP24 Wednesday night, Goodman’s lawyer, William Trudell, said that his client was innocent and would “vigorously defend himself” against the charges.
“Because this matter is now before the courts, he will not be making any further comment,” the release reads.
The statement also said that Goodman was grateful for the “overwhelming support” that he has received,” and that he regrets that the criminal justice system is being “misused for political purposes.”
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