Lawsuit claims camera hidden in shower at Cape Breton Buddhist monastery

A view of Cape Breton Island is shown in a July, 2000 photo. A civil lawsuit has been brought against two Nova Scotia-based Buddhist organizations, alleging a high-ranking monk placed a video camera in a communal shower at a Cape Breton Island monastery. (THE CANADIAN PRESS/Greg Bonnell)

HALIFAX — Two Nova Scotia-based Buddhist organizations are being sued after a high-ranking monk allegedly installed a video camera in a communal shower at a Cape Breton monastery.

In a lawsuit filed Thursday in Nova Scotia Supreme Court, Christopher Longoria of Texas alleges he was filmed while taking a shower in November 2021 at Gampo Abbey monastery, where he was living and working.

The lawsuit alleges the monastery and its umbrella organization -- Shambhala Canada Society -- were negligent in failing to protect residents' privacy and are liable for the privacy violations.

The claim alleges the video camera belonged to head monk Jack Hillie, who did not have "a valid lawful justification for this invasion of privacy."

Hillie was criminally charged with voyeurism on April 4, 2022, relating to alleged offences between December 2020 and November 2021, according to court records. He is scheduled to enter a plea in Port Hawkesbury provincial court on July 4.

The civil lawsuit says Longoria arrived at the remote monastery in November 2021, planning to stay until he was ordained as a monk. About a week later, he was showering when he saw a camera attached to the wall. The suit alleges he took the camera to Hillie, who said the camera belonged to him.

Longoria allegedly used the monastery's landline to call police, who told him to report it in the morning as "he was in no immediate danger." Longoria reported the incident to local police the following day, handing over the video camera, including a memory card that contained footage.

"Police later confirmed that the camera contained video footage filmed unknowingly of others in the monastery showers, and that there was further video footage of a similar nature stored at the monastery," the suit alleges.

Basia Sowinski, a lawyer representing Longoria, said other complainants may come forward.

"I'm hoping other residents become aware of the situation, and if they were there at the same time as our client, or perhaps prior, it's possible that they could have been filmed in the showers as well," she said in an interview.

None of the allegations have been proven in court. Attempts to reach Hillie and the Gampo Abbey monastery were not immediately successful. Deborah Luscomb, director of community and culture for the Halifax Shambhala Centre, said by email that she was "not interested or available to comment."

The civil suit seeks general damages for pain and suffering, describing the intrusion as "highly offensive due to the inherently private nature of showering." It says the incident caused Longoria "severe distress, humiliation and anguish."

This report by The Canadian Press was first published June 15, 2023.

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