Teacher faces sanctions after sharing personal views online
Amy McKay, a former long-term occasional teacher with the Ottawa-Carleton District School Board (OCDSB), is facing professional repercussions after expressing her views on gender identity ideology, gender-affirming medical interventions, and women’s sex-based rights on social media.
A mother of two, Ms. McKay was deeply involved in her school community—supporting her children’s extracurricular activities, helping run a student diversity club, and hosting a neighbourhood knitting and crochet group for more than a decade. While on leave in 2022 to pursue studies in professional counselling, the OCDSB banned her from teaching based on a complaint about her posts.
An unacceptable ultimatum
Although Ms. McKay resigned from her teaching position in 2023, she maintained her provincial teaching licence, unaware that the OCDSB had also filed a complaint with the Ontario College of Teachers (the College).
Nearly two years later, on May 13, 2025, the College informed her that a formal complaint had been submitted on June 27, 2023. The College presented her with an ultimatum: surrender her teaching licence permanently to stop the investigation or refuse and face a full inquiry into her expression. Lawyers funded by the Justice Centre have advised the College that Ms. McKay will not sign the undertaking and reminded the College of its duty to respect her Charter-protected freedom of expression.
Standing firm for freedom of expression
Constitutional lawyer Hatim Kheir noted that “many Canadians in all walks of life are subject to professional regulation. Canadians should not have to choose between their right to express deeply held views and the ability to be a member of a professional body.” Ms. McKay, who now works as a registered psychotherapist, echoed this sentiment: “In a diverse and multicultural country, everyone’s rights must be considered and all are important. Attempting to silence, intimidate, or punish anyone for speaking about their experiences and their rights is wrong.” She added that peacefully defending one’s rights—or the rights of others—is “a non-partisan act of civic responsibility.”
Ms. McKay now awaits the College’s decision on whether it will proceed with a full investigation.