Priest back in schools after sex-related charges withdrawn; parents unhappy

Barrie Today - November 6, 2024


Barrie, ON - Parents of students enrolled with the Simcoe Muskoka Catholic District School Board (SMCDSB) voiced their concerns Tuesday night about a priest working in local schools after sex-related charges stemming from an alleged incident in 2023 were withdrawn earlier this year. The meeting, held Nov. 5 at St. Mary’s Catholic Church on Amelia Street in Barrie, was at times tense as parents pressed the school board’s director of education, Frances Bagley, and Father Larry Leger, a priest with the Archdiocese of Toronto, for answers to their questions. About 50 people were in attendance, including parents and other school officials. 


Father Neil Pereira, 34, was arrested by Peterborough police on July 26, 2023, and charged with sexual assault and two counts of sexual interference involving a minor. The charges were later withdrawn.

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