A 53-year-old man who taught at Wakaw School for 25 years has plead guilty to professional misconduct.

Allegations of inappropriate touching against Gartner stemmed from multiple incidents between 2011 and 2015, with eight charges being laid against him.

Gartner appeared via video conference where he admitted guilt to the charges. His guilty plea meant that testimonies from the five girls did not have to be heard.

Two of the charges, which were brought about on January 20, were dropped.

Gartner is no longer teaching and although there are conditions that would allow him to return to a classroom, he said he has no plans of doing so.