A teacher at a Spruce Grove high school has been removed from his classroom, after he was arrested and charged with sexual assault.
RCMP have charged Robert Paolinelli with sexual assault, sexual exploitation and forcible confinement.
The 41-year-old man is a teacher at St. Thomas Aquainas School in Spruce Grove, however the school board told CTV News the charges are not related to the school.
A spokesperson for the board said he will still be employed by the board, but not in a classroom.
CTV News has learned Paolinelli had also been a hockey coach for about ten years, and had previously worked with teams in Red Deer, Spruce Grove, and St. Albert.
A spokesperson for Hockey Alberta said the charges don't involve a current player, but are asking any players who may have had inappropriate contact with Paolinelli to come forward.
"We are always very concerned at Hockey Alberta when any of our coaches or volunteers are involved in any type of misconduct," Ray Boudreau with Hockey Alberta said. "Certainly when I became aware of this on the 10th, I was quite disturbed."
Paolinelli is out on bail, under several strict conditions – he is not allowed to have any contact with minors, or be in a place where minors would be, and he can't contact staff or students at St. Thomas Aquainas School.
Paolinelli will appear in Stony Plain Provincial Court on Wednesday, November 2.
With files from Sonia Sunger
