Crown, defence close cases in Saskatoon sexual exploitation trial of former high school teacher | CBC News
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A Saskatoon judge will hear two contrasting characterizations of a former high school teacher on trial charged with sexual exploitation.
The trial of Matthew James Tumbach unfolded this week at Court of King’s Bench. Prosecutor Sheryl Fillo and defence lawyer Michael Nolin will make their closing arguments Friday before Justice Colin Clackson.
It’s alleged that Tumbach had a sexual encounter with a 17-year-old female Tommy Douglas Collegiate student in December 2011. Tumbach was 24 at the time and on his first teaching contract. The teen was in Grade 12.
Tumbach has acknowledged that he had a sexual encounter with the student, but said it was after she graduated. He admitted to that during an investigation by the Saskatchewan Professional Teachers Regulatory Board, triggered by a complaint from the former student in 2020.
The complainant, now 29, testified that she met with Tumbach at his Broadway-area apartment in December 2011 and they had sex after he served her marijuana and beer.
Tumbach said the girl did come to his apartment that month and year, but that it was to discuss “a major falling out” she’d had with her Mom or a close friend. He said they did not have sex, or consume marijuana or beer.
A key consideration for the judge is how much weight to give a Facebook exchange between Tumbach and the teen from Nov. 21, 2011. Tumbach was not allowed to speak directly to the contents of the exchange, but testified that it explained why the teen was upset and wanted later to meet at his apartment.
“I encouraged [her] to speak to someone about what happened,” he told Nolin.
Tumbach said that whatever happened “had caused significant fallout with close friends and at home, really big problems.”
On Thursday, the woman testified that she did not go to Tumbach’s apartment in December to discuss the Facebook exchange, or its fallout with her family and friends.
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