Former EMSB teacher faces 42-month prison term for sexual exploitation of student
A former physical education teacher with the English Montreal School Board is facing 42 months of prison time after being found guilty of sexually exploiting a student more than a decade ago.
Elie Amram, 44, used his position of authority to sexually exploit a 16-year-old in 2011, Judge Éric de Champlain ruled at the Montreal courthouse on Nov. 18, 2025. Amram was 29 years old at the time of the offence.
On Wednesday during a sentencing hearing, the judge heard a joint recommendation of 42 months prison time from the Crown prosecutor and the defence lawyer and granted Amram a grace period to prepare for his incarceration until his sentence is pronounced on Feb. 1, 2027.
The victim, whose name is under a publication ban, gave a victim-impact statement at Wednesday’s hearing.
“I stand here today representing every woman who was never able to stand in court and demand justice from her abuser,” she told the court. “I carry their silence with me. I speak today so they know justice is possible — to prove that our stories matter, our pain is real, and our strength is something that cannot be taken from us.”
She said motherhood pushed her to finally report the crime to police a decade later, shortly after giving birth to her daughter. She filed the complaint against her former teacher in 2022 for the offences that took place at an unnamed Montreal school.
“Motherhood forced me to look at the magnitude of what had been done to me. The horrific reality hit me: What if this happened to her?”
She said she still bears emotional scars caused by the sexual exploitation.
It began when Amram, who taught physical education, struck up a friendship with the victim. Their conversations shifted to text messages before escalating further. She testified earlier that she lost her virginity to him in the school’s gymnasium garage just before she had to take a math exam.
Amram went on to teach physical education at Royal Vale School, where he led various extracurricular activities, including wrestling and chess. The EMSB said it removed the teacher from the school when police authorities opened a file on him.
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At the Montreal courthouse on Wednesday, Amram’s wife pleaded for a shorter sentence. She told the judge Amram is an “essential pillar” of their family, both emotionally and financially.
“I cannot bear the thought of our kids losing their father for years,” she sobbed, describing the relationship between Amram and their two children.
“In our home he is our anchor … he’s woven into every fabric of their days. He sits with them and their homework frustrations, listens to their deepest concerns and worries, celebrates every small victory, then he tucks them into bed every single night. He is there for the quiet, routine moments,” she added.
“Being incarcerated for an extended period of time, I will suddenly be left to raise our children and keep our home afloat, alone, on a single income. A reality that terrifies me.”
De Champlain told her she is “one of the victims” of the damages, urging her to take care of herself and “try to find peace.”
With files from Harry North of The Gazette.
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