Roxanna Thompson
Northern News Services

Kakisa (Jan 20/06) - The man who works as both the principal and only teacher at Kakisa Lake school has been charged with sexual assault.

Marvin Noel Lizotte, 36, was in Fort Smith for the cross country skiing territorial trials when he was arrested this past Friday afternoon. The arrest occurred after a complaint was filed with Fort Providence RCMP on Jan. 12.

According to police, the allegations dated back to 2002 when Lizotte was a teacher at Deh Gah school in Fort Providence.

A second accusation, dating to 1998, was also received from a former student who now lives outside of the Territories.

The names and ages of the complainants are not being released, said RCMP Sgt. Francis Cullen of the G Division.

Lizotte has been charged with two counts of sexual assault and two counts of sexual exploitation, according to the RCMP. He appeared before Justice of the Peace court in Hay River on Friday evening. Lizotte was released under the conditions that he doesn't contact the complainants, leave the Northwest Territories or come into contact with anyone under the age of 18 unless accompanied by an adult.

Fort Providence RCMP and the G Division Major Crimes Unit are continuing their investigations. Lizotte is scheduled to appear before Territorial Court in Fort Providence on Feb. 21.

Calls to Nolan Swartzentruber, the superintendent of the Dehcho Divisional Education Council, were not returned by the time of publication.