Alberta launches review after child hit with belt, school supervisor charged
Posted August 5, 2026 1:37 pm.
The Alberta government says it’s reviewing the case of a boy who was hit by machine belt as part of school discipline known as the “strap” in northern Alberta.
Education Minister Demetrios Nicolaides says the review will help determine whether further action is required. He says the safety of students is his top priority.
On Tuesday, Alberta RCMP announced a supervisor at a private school in Fort Vermilion had been charged with assault. Mounties say they were alerted of the alleged incident by the child’s parent on May 20.
“The child had bruising and red marks across his thigh,” RCMP said in a news release.
Authorities searched the school and seized a “machine belt, as well as related documentation.”
Cleardale resident Eva Bueckert, 37, was charged with assault with a weapon. She is scheduled to appear in court Aug. 11. The allegation against her has not been tested in court.
Mounties say investigators determined the practice of physically disciplining students with the belt – known as the “strap” – was being used in three Mennonite schools in the area: Blumenort, Wilson Prairie and Tompkins.
Police say the physical discipline was part of the schools’ collective constitution, “which had been given to, and signed by, the parents.”
RCMP said Wednesday that no other victims have come forward, but the school community has been informed what constitutes a Criminal Code violation.
