Trial underway for former school principal accused of historical sexual assault

A woman who says she was sexually assaulted by her elementary school gym teacher more than 30 years ago is telling her story at his criminal trial this week in Dartmouth provincial court.

Steve Hutchins, 59, is facing one count of sexual assault and one count of sexual interference.

The woman, now 43, was a child attending elementary schools in the Eastern Passage, N.S., area of suburban Halifax when the alleged offences took place. Her identity is protected by a publication ban.

In her testimony, she described experiencing a "disruptive" home life, which she says prompted her to hang around school and help Hutchins clean up after gym classes.

The woman told the court about encounters that took place in supply rooms adjacent to the gyms in the three schools she attended, or sometimes in his office.

She testified that during those encounters, Hutchins would always turn off the lights and close the door, and would hold her close, pressing his body against hers, while "vibrating" and making strange sounds.

Under cross-examination by Hutchins's lawyer, Don Murray, the woman said Hutchins never touched her under her clothes. But she bristled at Murray's description of the incidents as "hugging."

"I would prefer you to not use the term 'hugs' for sexual assault," she said.

The woman said she came to realize there was a sexual element to the embraces, which she said lasted for as long as a minute. She couldn't remember how many times it happened, but said it was a lot.

"It was so uncomfortable that I believe I disassociated a little bit," she said. "It made me feel like I just wanted to run away from my own life."

The woman said she became increasingly uncomfortable with the encounters and reached out to someone she had come to trust: Karen Johnston, a teacher and guidance counsellor at school. But Johnston was Hutchins's wife at the time. 

The complainant testified that when she confided in Johnston, the teacher told her that if she was wrong, she could get Hutchins in a lot of trouble. The woman told court that after she spoke to Johnston, the encounters with Hutchins stopped.

But she also testified that for years, she couldn't remember which adult she'd told about Hutchins. She described her memories from that period as "scattered and vague."

The woman said she previously shared her experiences only with some close friends and intimate partners. But she said by 2022, she was speaking out to her thousands of Instagram followers, although she didn't refer to Hutchins by name.

'Something that was eating me alive'

The woman said Johnston reached out after seeing an Instagram post to ask who she was accusing. The woman said she told Johnston it was Hutchins. By that time, Hutchins and Johnston had divorced and the complainant said Johnston helped her get in touch with RCMP to tell her story.

But the woman said she became suspicious of Johnston's motives. After she gave a statement to police that led to these charges, she cut off contact with Johnston.

When asked by Crown prosecutor Emma Woodburn to reflect on her experience, the woman said, "I still feel dirty and disgusting about that time. It was something that was eating me alive."

The woman maintained an active presence on social media where she talked about her experiences and accused people in the education system of protecting Hutchins. He had become an elementary school principal and only retired once police informed him he was under investigation for these complaints.

In his questioning, Murray challenged the woman, saying that Hutchins frequently biked to school and couldn't have driven her home as she testified. He also said at least one of the schools didn't have a proper gym and therefore the events she described couldn't have happened.

This is the second time Hutchins has faced allegations of historical sexual assault. The other case went to trial last fall and he was acquitted. 

The Crown has closed its case. Hutchins's lawyer will tell the court Friday how the defence will proceed.