Dozens of former students sue Manitoba school divisions claiming teachers, principals abused them

Multiple Manitoba school divisions are facing lawsuits, with students alleging sexual and physical assault. Katherine Dow explains.

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Dozens of civil lawsuits alleging sexual and physical assaults have been filed against Manitoba school divisions and boards in the past six months, CTV News has learned.

The slew of filings, 27 in total, were all made in the Court of King’s Bench of Manitoba by Preszler Injury Lawyers. The filings on behalf of a number of plaintiffs began in late March, with the most recent claims filed on Aug. 29.

Fourteen Manitoba school divisions and education boards are named as defendants: the Winnipeg School Division; River East Transcona; St. James-Assiniboia; Louis Riel; Lord Selkirk; Frontier; Park West; Swan Valley; Evergreen; Turtle River; Hanover; Portage la Prairie; the Fisher River Board of Education; and Sagkeeng Education Authority.

The 27 plaintiffs allege sexual and physical abuse by a number of employees—many of which are named—including teachers, a teacher’s assistant, a janitor, and principals. The alleged sexual assaults occurred between 1960 and 2016 in over 20 schools throughout Manitoba.

The Saint-Boniface Archdiocese is also named as a co-defendant in one suit, alleging a catechism teacher who was in a volunteer and leadership role with the Holy Family Catholic Church sexually assaulted a young child in the early 1970s.

A request for comment from the Archdiocese has not been answered.

Two plaintiffs were as young as five years old when the alleged assaults occurred, according to the lawsuits.

In one case, the alleged perpetrator is also listed as a co-defendant, while the remaining alleged perpetrators are listed as non-parties to the lawsuits.

One former student assaulted 20 to 30 times: statement of claim

The most recent alleged sexual assaults began around 2015 and 2016, according to one statement of claim filed against the Winnipeg School Division.

The former student alleges that he was sexually assaulted by a female teacher’s assistant at Elmwood High School. The court filing claims grooming began in 2013 and that there was a “build up to when the perpetrator began crossing physical boundaries.”

“The plaintiff recalls in the range of 20-30 sexual assaults; largely exchanges of oral sex, with at least one occasion of sexual intercourse,” says the suit. The former student claims the sexual assaults occurred within the teacher’s parking lot “during and after sporting events,” and off of school property.

As of Friday, statements of defence were filed by the Sagkeeng Education Authority and by the Frontier School Division in one of the three cases against the division.

One former student of Sagkeeng Anicinabe High School alleges that they were sexually assaulted around 1970 as a child by a chief who “arranged and led the school trip in coordination with the school authority.”

In the Sagkeeng Education Authority’s statement of defence filed on July 8, it calls for the claim to be dismissed, citing that the alleged perpetrator was not an employee.

“At all material times, (Sagkeeng Education Authority) operated in full accordance with all expected and applicable standards, procedures, regulations and statutory authority,” the suit says.

Another lawsuit against the Frontier School Division alleges a teacher and hockey coach at West Lynn Heights School in Lynn Lake, Man., sexually assaulted a student around 1987 to 1989.

“The assaults were committed in relation to activities pertaining to the plaintiff’s involvement with the hockey team, which practiced at the school, and occurred on a repeated basis, increasing in frequency, nature and intensity as time progressed,” the suit says.

Hockey Canada and the Manitoba Amateur Hockey Association, who refused to comment, are also listed as defendants in the lawsuit.

Frontier School Division claims it has no records relating to the school during that time period and denies it was responsible for the school’s operation then, citing a school district amalgamation after the alleged assaults. It is calling for the case to be dismissed, according to its statement of defence filed this month.

Victims suffered PTSD, depression: court records

The plaintiffs say the fallout from the alleged abuses resulted in physical pain, post-traumatic stress disorder, mental anguish, depression, anxiety, addiction, mistrust, psychological injuries and more.

The divisions and boards are accused of failing to screen or monitor the perpetrators, failing to properly document, discipline or terminate them, and failing to implement a proper reporting system.

In some cases, the plaintiffs allege the school divisions fostered a system where reporting abusive behaviours was considered wrong or could result in retaliation, or were willingly blind to or denied the alleged abuse.

The suits claim the divisions and boards were negligent and failed in their duty of care, as well as their fiduciary duty, to students enrolled in their schools.

The suits seek general, special, and punitive damages and costs.

According to a spokesperson for Manitoba’s Education Minister Tracy Schmidt, student safety is a top priority and school divisions are required to ensure that all staff complete an approved sexual abuse prevention program.

In January, the provincial government launched a public registry which allows people to search by name to see if a teacher has had their teaching certificate cancelled or suspended.

The province said legislation was also passed this spring which requires sports organizations to adopt a policy that outlines behavioural expectations and prohibited conduct. Coaches will also be required to complete courses on how to create a safe and positive environment.

Schools are also required to have policies in place that address staff-student interactions, including outside of school, according to the spokesperson.

CTV News reached out to all school divisions and boards named as defendants in the suits. All those who responded by a deadline refused to comment on the matters, as they are before the courts.

A request for comment to the law firm representing the plaintiffs has not yet been answered.

Two of the suits filed by Preszler Injury Lawyers were reported on by CTV News earlier this week.

None of the allegations have been tested in court.