Class-action lawsuit over sexual abuse at Metro Vancouver schools settled for $30M

The British Columbia Supreme Court approved a $30‑million settlement to resolve a class‑action lawsuit that accused Vancouver College, St. Thomas More Collegiate and the Roman Catholic Archbishop of Vancouver of facilitating sexual, physical and psychological abuse at two Catholic schools in Metro Vancouver. The claimants, more than 200 former students, alleged that members of the Christian Brothers of Ireland were transferred from the notorious Mount Cashel orphanage in St. John’s, Newfoundland, to the schools during the 1970s and 1980s.

The lawsuit, filed in 2021 and certified in 2023, traced abuse incidents from 1976 to 2013 at Vancouver College and from 1976 to 1989 at St. Thomas More. Justice Simon Coval approved the settlement without hesitation, citing a trauma‑informed and confidential claims process that would spare the parties the difficulties of a trial. The ruling noted that four of the transferred brothers were later criminally convicted when the Mount Cashel scandal emerged in the 1990s.

Victims described enduring sexual, physical and mental abuse that led to long‑term mental health challenges, relationship and employment difficulties, substance abuse and loss of faith. While most accepted the settlement, many expressed disappointment at the defendants’ lack of accountability. Several class members opted out to pursue individual lawsuits. The schools and the Archbishop issued statements expressing profound concern, sympathy, outrage and a commitment to support victims on the path to healing.

(Source：SooToday)