Calgary school board settlement with sexually abused students enters final stage

Restitution is set to go out to students abused by two former teachers. There's time for other victims to sign up.

Decades after two Calgary teachers sexually assaulted junior high students, some victims will receive restitution from a school board settlement.

The settlement could be finalized next month.

It’s been a long journey for Eryn MacKenzie, who says she was 12 years old when her teacher began sexually abusing her.

“That lightheartedness I can remember having as a kid before I met Michael Gregory—I didn’t have that anymore,” said MacKenzie.

“Obviously, childhood sexual assault (has) an impact for the rest of your life.”

In November, the Calgary Board of Education (CBE) reached an agreement with more than 40 people in a class action lawsuit who said they were abused by Fred Archer and Gregory while the two were teachers at John Ware School between 1988 and 2004.

“Most of our clients were between the ages of 12 and 14 when initial grooming activity occurred or initial sexual contact activity occurred,” said Meagan Potier, one of the lawyers for the class action.

The exact number of victims in those 16 years is unknown.

“The first abuse case I know of from Gregory happened when I was two years old, and then I didn’t end up at John Ware until I was 12, so in that time there were countless people, and there were people after me as well,” said MacKenzie, who spent most of these years thinking she was the only victim.

“For some of us, there were reports made and nothing happened, so I think there has to be some level of accountability.”

The school board has apologized, and a $15.7-million settlement might receive court approval at the end of February.

“To finally hear them say they apologize, I hope they understand the severity of the damage suffered by all of us,” said MacKenzie, who has spent a lot of time in therapy dealing with the trauma.

The apology and settlement are important moves, according to Calgary’s Danielle Aubry, who has worked with sexual abuse survivors for more than 30 years.

“High-profile organizations that are doing it, they can be leaders in this. It doesn’t mean what they did in the past was OK, but it’s really important we move forward as a society and start creating responses that are positive toward the victims,” said Aubry, executive director of Calgary Communities Against Sexual Abuse.

Gregory died by suicide in 2021, five days after he was charged with 17 counts of sexual assault.

Archer was convicted of abusing boys at the school, and now faces more charges of sexual assault.

RCMP confirm Archer, now in his 80s, was charged in early December with sexual assault and sexual exploitation, stemming from incidents between September 1985 and February 1986.

He has court dates scheduled for February.

Others abused by the men who have not joined the lawsuit can still apply if they choose to come forward.

“We ensure we do everything we can to make people comfortable in doing this, but we recognize for some people, it’s just not worth it, and that’s completely fine, too,” said Potier.

The CBE has also agreed to work with some of the victims to help detect and prevent sexual assault.

“Hopefully, they will take this lesson to make change because this should never have happened,” said MacKenzie.

She’s hoping some relief comes with the end of the legal chapter but expects to be dealing with the abuse forever.

“Anyone who has experienced sexual assault, you have a lot of grief for the things that were taken from you,” she said.

“It’s just something that’s forever taken from you.”

The last day to apply to be part of the class-action settlement is Feb. 26.

Information on how to apply can be found on the HMC Lawyers website.

With files by Melissa Gilligan