Alleging historic physical and sexual abuse at the hands of an Arthur Public School teacher, a Walkerton man is suing the Upper Grand District School Board for $2 million.
The incidents are said to have begun in 1999, when the student was in his teens. It’s alleged the board failed to investigate or take action against the teacher once it was made aware of reported abuses.
“The plaintiff … alleges that he was so profoundly negatively affected by these behaviours and activities that he spent many of the formative years of his life struggling to deal with the physical, mental, psychological and emotional effects of these events,” states the lawsuit, which was filed earlier this month.
None of the allegations have been tested or proven in court.
The UGDSB has not filed a statement of defence at this time and efforts to reach a board spokesperson for comment weren’t immediately successful. In the past, the board has declined to comment on matters before the court.
Among the unanswered questions is whether the teacher in question still works for the board.
The teacher alleged to have been involved is not named as a defendant in the lawsuit. It does not appear criminal charges have ever been filed in the matter.
As a result of the alleged assaults, the former student has undergone medical treatment and psychological counselling, and will need to continue doing so throughout his life, the lawsuit states.
He has experienced symptoms of post-traumatic stress disorder, feelings of worthlessness, mistrust of authority figures, depression and is unable to develop or engage in “normal human relations” due to trust issues.
The student/teacher relationship provided opportunities for the two to be alone, which the plaintiff claims allowed the teacher to “exert influence and control over him, prey upon him, and physically and sexually abuse him.”
The UGDSB is alleged to have provided the teacher with opportunities to commit abuse “for a considerable period of time without the risk of getting caught.”
“It fostered a system, based on the rules, principles, and policies of the Defendant, UGDSB… whereby the reporting of such deviant physical and sexual behaviour of an employee, teacher and/or principal by its students would be considered to be ‘wrong,’” the lawsuit states.
“It implemented and maintained a system which was designed to cover-up the existence of such behaviour if such behaviour was ever reported.”
The board “denied the existence, or alternatively, was wilfully blind to the existence of the behaviour” alleged, the lawsuit notes, accusing the UGDSB of negligence and breach of duty.
