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St. Michael’s College launching third-party investigation amid Toronto police probe

Click to play video: '‘We have to do better’: St. Mike’s principal orders external review of sexual assault allegations'
‘We have to do better’: St. Mike’s principal orders external review of sexual assault allegations
WATCH ABOVE: St. Michael's Principal Greg Reeves says there is going to be an external review of sexual assault allegations involving students at the school – Nov 18, 2018

TORONTO – A prestigious Toronto private school at the centre of a police probe into allegations of assault and sexual assault says it has sent another video to investigators.

St. Michael’s College School says it’s unaware if the video is new or a duplicate of one that police are already investigating.

In a statement, the school also says it’s launching a “rigorous independent examination” into attitudes and behaviours that are “inconsistent with its culture and values.”

Eight students have been expelled and another was suspended in the wake of multiple incidents, one of which involved an alleged sexual assault. On Friday, the school said it had also reported a third incident but declined to provide any details.

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Toronto police sources say the incident under police investigation involved a group of students on the football team pinning down another student and allegedly sexually assaulting him with a broom handle.

St. Michael’s principal Greg Reeves says in the statement that the incidents are “offensive” to what the school stands for, and that those affected are being “supported and cared for.”

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WATCH: St. Michael’s College reports third “incident” to police

Click to play video: 'St. Michael’s College School reports third “incident” to police'
St. Michael’s College School reports third “incident” to police

Reeves told Global News that a committee of three to five “prominent citizens” would be asked to prepare a preliminary report on the incident in the spring, and submit a final report in the summer, so that recommendations in their report can be implemented for the start of the 2019-20 school year.

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Reeves also said that in hindsight, he may have chosen to share the video of the locker room assault with police the same evening that he got it, rather than wait until two days later.

“As you know, there’s no playbook for something as serious as this. So in hindsight, I may review that and consider whether that was a good decision or not,” he said.

— With files from Global News’ Jamie Mauraucher 

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