Former Kitchener principal sentenced after sexual offences involving students
Posted Sep 11, 2025 07:00:38 AM.
Last Updated Sep 27, 2025 10:22:26 AM.
A former Kitchener elementary school principal has been sentenced to prison after committing sexual offences against his students.
The incidents stretch between 2021 and 2023, where 60-year-old and former principal of Saint John Paul II Catholic Elementary School, Rodney Eckert, was found to have sexually assaulted multiple of his students. One of those students was as young as 13.
He was found guilty of two counts of sexual assault, two counts of sexual interference, and one count of invitation to sexual touching back in May, and has now been sentenced to 33 months behind bars, or just under three years.
The incidents range from two in-person interactions in 2021 and 2022 to an online occurrence after Eckert’s retirement in 2023.
He was an educator at the Kitchener elementary school between 2014 and 2022, beginning his teaching career back in 1991.
According to CTV News Kitchener, the judge at the sentencing, Justice Frances Brennan, reflected on the list of cases and the “extremely concerning pattern of behaviour.”
History, details of the sexual offences
The first reported occurrence stems back to 2021, centred around an incident where a young boy at the school was hurt during an accident at recess.
Testimonies during the proceedings back in May stated that the former Kitchener principal examined the boy with his pants down, with the student saying sexual comments were made about his genitals.
The second instance took place in 2022, taking place in one of the school’s changerooms. It happened when another student was covered in mud, with Eckert offering the student a change of clothes. The student said Eckert pulled down his shorts and made comments about his buttocks.
During the conviction proceedings at the Waterloo Region Courthouse, the Crown prosecutor said Eckert was alone with the children in both cases, with none of his actions being necessary, in line with sexual interference.
The third occurrence happened after Eckert had retired, involving an online conversation between him and a student in 2023. According to The Waterloo Regional Record, Eckert is said to have messaged the student saying, “Just promise me that you are masturbating to release the pressure,” in reference to the stresses the student was facing.
The three incidents culminated in two counts of sexual assault, two counts of sexual interference, and one count of invitation to sexual touching.
Sentencing hearing, statement from victim
“I agree with the Crown that this case represents an egregious breach of trust,” Brennan stated during the hearing, The Record said in its reporting. “Mr. Eckert blatantly violated his obligations as the school principal and the trust that his students, their parents, and the community at large placed in him to safeguard his students.”
Brennan said time in prison was required in order to properly deter other similar incidents from happening again in the future, but also pointed to Eckert’s remorse, health condition, and lack of criminal record as contributing factors in the 33-month sentence.
“I accept that Eckert’s time in custody will be tougher due to health issues, compared to a young offender,” Brennan mentioned, CTV News reported. He is currently undergoing treatment for skin cancer.
During the sentencing, local media sources reported a statement was also read by the Crown prosecutor, given by one of the impacted students, going into detail on their life since the offences took place.
“When I think back to my elementary school years now, I don’t feel joy or nostalgia. I feel pain,” reads the statement, according to The Record. “This whole experience has taken a lot from me. It’s taken my sense of safety, my friendships, my confidence, and how I see the world. I feel anxious. I get overwhelmed easily, and sometimes I just feel lost.”
The judge also imposed a list of court-ordered restrictions on the former Kitchener principal, including:
- Not being permitted near parks, swimming areas, or schools where anyone under the age of 16 is present
- Not being permitted to be employed or volunteer where he will be in a position of trust to anyone under the age of 16
- No contact with anyone under the age of 16 unless the supervision court considers it appropriate, or unless supervised by someone over the age of 18 and is aware of his conditions
- Not allowed to access any internet-based content that violates the law
- No access to social media sites or having a personal online profile
- 10-year weapons prohibition
Eckert will also be listed on Canada’s National Sex Offender Registry (NSOR) moving forward.
CTV News reported that the judge also issued a warning to Eckert, saying, “I must caution you, sir, if you reoffend, the court will have little option but to impose a much longer sentence.”
Eckert once again apologized while in court before being taken away in handcuffs, media outlets said.
