Canada: Montreal school to pay $5M to settle abuse suit

http://www.thestar.com/News/Canada/article/570609

Jan 14, 2009 04:30 AM
Sidhartha Banerjee
THE CANADIAN PRESS

MONTREAL–A prestigious Montreal private school has agreed to pay $5 million in damages to former students who alleged they were sexually assaulted by teachers over three decades.

Quebec Superior Court has approved the settlement between Selwyn House School and about 35 former students more than three years after the students filed a class-action lawsuit.

The school has denied any wrongdoing or liability, but made the gesture to help the former students move forward, said Ted Claxton, chair of the board of directors at Selwyn House.

"We're very pleased with the decision. We think this settlement arrangement is something in the interest of the men involved and the school," Claxton said in an interview.

"We hope this will allow those men to put things behind them and get on with their lives."

The sexual abuse allegations focus on three former teachers at the institution and span from the 1960s to the late 1980s.

The teachers outlined in court documents were James Hill, Leigh Seville and John Aimers, who is the co-founder of the Monarchist League of Canada.

Seville, who taught at the school in the '70s and '80s, committed suicide in 1991 after school officials confronted him with the allegations.

Hill, who taught at the school between 1961 and 1972, has not been heard from in some time and his whereabouts are unknown.

Aimers taught in the 1970s and has denied any wrongdoing.

Toronto lawyer Bryan McPhadden says the two sides reached a deal last February, but the court wasn't immediately satisfied and wanted the wording reworked.