Decades after alleged abuse, $30-million court settlement involving two Vancouver Catholic schools is approved

The class action was launched in 2021 and approved in 2023, brought by former students who alleged members of the Christian Brothers of Ireland, a Catholic religious worldwide order, abused them. It involved students who attended Vancouver College, pictured here, between 1976 and 2013 and St. Thomas More Collegiate between 1976 and 1989. Photo by RIC ERNST /PNG

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The B.C. Supreme Court has approved a $30-million settlement of a class-action lawsuit over historical claims of physical, psychological and sexual abuse at two private Metro Vancouver Catholic schools.

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In a ruling released Thursday, the court approved the settlement involving all-boys schools Vancouver College and St. Thomas More Collegiate in Burnaby, with Justice Simon Coval finding it was “fair, reasonable and in the best interests of the class members as a whole.”

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The class action was launched in 2021 and approved in 2023, brought by former students who alleged members of the Christian Brothers of Ireland, a Catholic religious worldwide order, abused them. It involved students who attended Vancouver College between 1976 and 2013 and St. Thomas More Collegiate between 1976 and 1989.

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The case was set to go to trial in 2024 but was adjourned while parties worked toward a settlement. A tentative agreement was reached in February.

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The lawsuit included allegations from former students at both schools, involving claims of sexual and physical abuse by Christian Brothers. The allegations have not been proven in court.

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It alleged members of the Christian Brothers were transferred to the two Metro Vancouver schools from the disgraced Mount Cashel orphanage in St. John’s, N.L., which was known for abuse suffered by children in the 1950s and 1970s.

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It claimed the transfers were arranged by Christian Brothers in the school’s leadership that was connected with the office of the Roman Catholic Archbishop of Vancouver and was aware of the abuse at Mount Cashel.

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The lawsuit alleged some of the members transferred from Mount Cashel and “went on to commit terrible abuse of some students at the two schools.”

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Coval said more than 200 former students have confidentially identified themselves to class counsel, with about 10 per cent reporting sexual abuse with lasting impacts on their relationships, employment, anger, addiction and problems with authority.

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According to a 2023 ruling by Coval, the class action was the preferable way to address numerous related claims. The allegations were aimed mainly at former or current Christian Brothers Edward English, Kevin Short, Douglas Kenny and Joseph Burke.

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The Mount Cashel abuse scandal was revealed after allegations in the 1980s, which led to a Royal Commission and criminal charges against more than a dozen people who worked at the orphanage.

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Four of the six Christian Brothers transferred from Mount Cashel to the Vancouver schools were later criminally convicted, including defendants English and Kenny.

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Coval said a common issues trial would be long and difficult, especially for those required to testify. He added that “the claims process is designed to compensate class members as fairly and quickly as possible by means of a trauma-sensitive, non-adversarial process.”