Sourced from 3 news outlets · most facts from statements · no points in dispute. How we sourced this
Quebec Education Minister Joël Arseneau has condemned allegations that young children were placed inside lockers at an elementary school within the Centre de services scolaire des Mille-Îles, north of Montreal.
Key facts
- Quebec Education Minister Joël Arseneau condemned the alleged practice of confining students in lockers and said that under no circumstances should students be confined to lockers.
- Blainville police opened an investigation in collaboration with youth protection services (DPJ) into allegations involving a primary/elementary school within the Centre de services scolaire des Mille-Îles (CSSMI) north of Montreal.
- The allegations say that children aged five to seven were placed inside a padded locker to calm them down, and the locker was not locked while a child was inside.
- The school’s identity has not been disclosed publicly while the investigation is underway, and CSSMI said it is limiting information because of confidentiality concerns.
The allegations involve children aged five to seven who were reportedly put into a padded locker to calm them down. The locker was not locked while a child was inside.
Blainville police and youth protection investigate allegations
Blainville police have opened an investigation in collaboration with Quebec’s youth protection services, known as the DPJ, into the allegations at the CSSMI school.
The school has not been identified publicly while the investigation continues. CSSMI says it is limiting the information it releases because of confidentiality concerns.
Four staff members have been suspended, including a teacher and a special education technician.
School centre says it acted quickly
CSSMI says it moved quickly after learning of the situation, correcting it and putting measures in place to allow the relevant authorities to carry out their investigations.
“Rest assured that we take this situation very seriously and that the safety, dignity and well-being of students remain at the heart of our concerns,” CSSMI communications coordinator Mélanie Poirier said in a statement.
Minister condemns locker allegations
Arseneau called the alleged practice “unacceptable” and said intervention methods for students must follow recognized best practices while respecting children’s safety, dignity and individual needs.
“Under no circumstances should students be confined to lockers,” Arseneau wrote on X.
He said the Education Ministry has contacted the relevant authorities to better understand what happened and would take steps to “shed full light” on practices he described as highly problematic.
Liberal education critic calls for review of school practices
Liberal education critic Marc Tanguay said he was shocked by the reports.
“As a father, I’m shocked to read and to listen to what happened in this school,” Tanguay said. “I think that is unacceptable in 2026 in Quebec, those kinds of practices.”
He said the minister should examine what practices are being used not only at the school under investigation, but across Quebec’s schools.
What we don't know yet
- It remains unclear how many students were involved in the alleged locker incidents.
- It is not yet known how long the children were kept inside the lockers.
- The specific school being investigated has not been publicly identified.
How outlets covered it
- CTV News (Bell Media) — “Staff allegedly trap children in lockers at Quebec elementary school”, Nov. 12, 2026. By Daniel Rowe. Quoted Quebec Education Minister Joël Arseneau; Liberal (PLQ) education critic Marc Tanguay; Mille-Îles School Services Centre. Not in the other reports here: Marc Tanguay's reaction to the reports.
- CBC News (CBC/Radio-Canada) — “Report of children confined in lockers at Quebec school draws minister’s condemnation”, Nov. 12, 2026. By Jacqueline Newsome. Quoted Quebec education minister Joël Arseneau; leadership of the CSSMI. Not in the other reports here: a Radio-Canada photo showing padding and covered hooks.
- CityNews (Rogers Sports & Media) — “Children allegedly put into lockers as punishment at school in Mille-Îles, north of Montreal”, Nov. 12, 2026. By Jessica Barile. Led with the investigation into children allegedly placed in lockers. Quoted Mélanie Poirier, a communications coordinator at the CSSMI; Parti Québécois member and representative for Îles-de-la-Madeleine, Joël Arseneau.
Reader-funded. No ads. No paywall.
The Canada Report is independent, reader-funded Canadian news — no advertisers, nothing behind a paywall, kept free for everyone. If you value it, you can help keep it that way.
Support The Canada Report →How we sourced this story
| Most key facts come from statements by Centre de services scolaire des Mille-Îles (CSSMI), Joël Arseneau and Blainville Police, as reported by 3 news outlets. Outlets repeating the same statements do not confirm them independently. |
6 key facts · 2 independently corroborated · 4 from statements or releases · none disputed
Why some reports were counted once
ctvnews.ca (1) and ctvnews.ca (2) — the same report, published near-identically, counted once.
Allegations described here are not proven in court unless stated.
Also used
- Reports of children locked in elementary school lockers being investigated — CTV News, Nov. 12, 2026
How we put this together: we compare reporting from the outlets above, draft with the help of AI tools, and an editor checks every story before it's published. Our methodology.
