Class-action lawsuit filed against Collège de Montréal over alleged sexual assault by staff member
The suit alleges a former student was repeatedly assaulted by an employee from 1994 to 1997 and claims the school failed to provide a safe environment.
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An application for a class-action lawsuit has been filed on behalf of victims of alleged sexual assaults at Collège de Montréal, a private high school in the city.
The lawsuit alleges that a former student was repeatedly assaulted by one of the school's employees for nearly three years beginning in 1994, when the victim was 13 years old. The alleged staff member, who worked as a coach for an after-school sports activity, reportedly abused his authority and took advantage of what lawyers describe as a "climate of intimidation" the child was experiencing, with assaults allegedly occurring in his office after he gained the victim's trust.
The plaintiff, represented by lawyers in Quebec Superior Court, is seeking to represent other victims of sexual assault at the high school. "I am taking this step to provide access to justice for all those who, like me, were victims of abuse at the Collège," the plaintiff said in a statement. "But above all, we are doing this to free ourselves from the suffering, guilt, and anger that have been eating away at us from the inside for so many years."
The lawyers also claim that the high school failed to provide a safe environment for minor students at the institution.
The facts
What is Collège de Montréal?
Collège de Montréal is a private high school in Montreal.
When did the alleged assaults occur?
The alleged assaults occurred from 1994 to 1997, beginning when the victim was 13 years old.
Who allegedly committed the assaults?
A staff member at Collège de Montréal who worked as a coach for an after-school sports activity allegedly committed the assaults.
