Archbishop MacDonald teacher faces exploitation charges

By LASHA MORNINGSTAR
WCR News Editor
Edmonton

Edmonton City Police are keeping the investigation open in the case of a Catholic school teacher charged with sexual exploitation in the event other complainants come forward.

Grade 12 student

Thirty-five year-old Mark McNally, an Archbishop MacDonald drama teacher, has been charged with sexual exploitation of a Grade 12 female student during the 2002-03 school year.

The charge was laid Dec. 13 and McNally was suspended with pay, says Edmonton Catholic School Board spokesman Lori Nagy.

"He will remain away from work until the outcome of the criminal investigation is concluded," she said.

Police spokesman Jeff Wuite says the sexual exploitation charge is laid when someone using his or her authority to gain sexual contact exploits a victim between the ages of 14 to 18.

The alleged series of incidents that happened years ago came to light when the girl or other family members contacted the police service's Zebra Child Protection Centre, Wuite said.

The unit includes detectives working files in collaboration with social workers when a youth victim is involved.

McNally had been teaching in the Edmonton Separate School system since 1995, working first at Archbishop O'Leary, then moving to Archbishop MacDonald in 2002.

Upsetting

Nagy said the situation is "extremely upsetting for the staff and students.

"We are looking forward to receiving details in the case and until that happens, we cannot do our own investigation. We do need to know the extent of what is alleged to have happened."

Explaining the police "have a duty to make these things public" should there be other victims, Wuite said that as of press time they were still dealing with the single complaint.

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