LOCAL TEEN GETS PROBATION FOR SELLING POT TO ST. BASIL TEACHER

Local News - A teen was placed on 15 months probation Tuesday for selling
marijuana to a Sault Ste. Marie high school teacher.

The 17-year-old youth, who can't be identified under the Youth Criminal
Justice Act, was convicted of trafficking a controlled substance.

Ontario Court Justice John Kukurin heard an investigation was initiated
after the teen's mother became concerned about her son's attitude and conduct.

The woman, who began to pay attention to the family's computer, came across
communications between the youth and a St. Basil Secondary School teacher.

The discussions, which continued for a number of months, eventually turned
to the acquisition of drugs, federal prosecutor Wayne Chorney said.

"The suspected activity was not the teacher selling drugs to the student,
but the student selling drugs to the teacher," he said.

In December, the woman decided to involve authorities and met with police
and the school principal, Chorney said.

"At that point all the messages were shared with the school principal," he
said.

In March, city police obtained two warrants -- one for the youth's home and
the other for the residence of Scott Logan, Chorney said.

At the teacher's residence, officers found a piece of paper with the teen's
name and phone number on it, the court heard.

In a statement to police, Logan indicated he used drugs rarely, and had
bought some from the youth, Chorney said.

Four grams of cannabis marijuana had been purchased for $40 about 10 days
earlier, the prosecutor said.

"It's questionable" whether the teacher approached him or the teen
approached the teacher, Chorney said.

When police arrested the youth, he said he had sold marijuana to the man
three times and hash oil on one occasion, Kukurin was told.

One of the sales involved half an ounce of marijuana with a $300 price tag,
Chorney said.

The teen said "it was exciting to sell drugs to a teacher," he said.

Defence counsel Ken Walker said his client's position was that the teacher
had approached him first.

"It doesn't really matter who approached who," Chorney countered, calling
the whole situation inappropriate.

The teen's mother expressed her frustration to the judge about how the
teacher has been treated.

After coming forward about her son and making him accountable, the man
continued teaching and "I believe he just got a slap on the wrist," she said.

When contacted by The Sault Star Tuesday, Cecile Somme, Huron-Superior
Catholic District School Board education director, said Logan is "no longer
an active member of the board."

She refused to say why he is no longer teaching with the board or if he is
still teaching.

When he imposed sentence, Kukurin told the teen, a first-time offender, he
had been convicted of a very serious offence, that would draw a more
substantial penalty for an adult.

While he is on probation, the youth must do 50 hours of community service
and undergo any recommended assessment counselling.

"You must abstain absolutely from drugs and alcohol," he said. "You are too
young to drink and no one should have drugs."