TORONTO, ON: The Justice Centre for Constitutional Freedoms announces that a legal letter has been sent to the Ontario College of Teachers (the College) on behalf of former Ottawa teacher Amy McKay, after the College pressured her to permanently surrender her teaching licence over social media posts expressing concerns about gender identity ideology, gender-affirming medical interventions, and women’s sex-based rights.
Ms. McKay, a mother of two, previously worked as a long-term occasional teacher within the Ottawa-Carleton District School Board (OCDSB). Volunteering was always a central part of her life, including supporting her children’s extracurricular activities and helping to run a student diversity club during her teaching career. She also hosted a neighbourhood knitting and crochet group for more than a decade, creating a space for connection and community for local women.
In 2022, while she was on leave pursuing studies in professional counselling, the OCDSB banned her from teaching in its schools based on a complaint about her social media posts.
While Ms. McKay resigned from her position as an instructor in the Ottawa district during the spring of 2023, she maintained her provincial teaching licence, not immediately aware that the OCDSB had also submitted the complaint for investigation.
However, on May 13, 2025, the College informed her that the OCDSB had filed a formal complaint against her almost two years earlier, on June 27, 2023. The College offered Ms. McKay a choice: surrender her teaching licence permanently to halt the investigation, or refuse and face a formal investigation into her expression.
Lawyers funded by the Justice Centre have advised the College that Ms. McKay will not sign the undertaking and emphasized her Charter-protected freedom of expression, which the College must balance in its decision-making.
Constitutional lawyer Hatim Kheir said, “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 after successfully completing her studies, said, “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.”
“Peacefully defending one’s rights or the rights of others is never an act of hate or oppression. It is a non-partisan act of civic responsibility,” she added.
Ms. McKay is awaiting the College’s decision on whether it will proceed with the investigation.
