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Former deaf-school students file class action against province
Former students of a now-closed residential school for the deaf in Saskatoon officially launched a class action lawsuit against the province Tuesday, alleging the government-funded school was a haven for child abusers over the course of several decades.
Although the statement of claim filed at Court of Queen’s Bench in Regina names only two individual plaintiffs, a total of 52 former students of the R.J.D. Williams School for the Deaf have already joined, according to prominent Regina lawyer Tony Merchant, whose firm is handling the case.
Merchant told TheStarPhoenix.com he expects news reports about the existence of the suit will prompt more plaintiffs — possibly thousands — to come forward seeking compensation for alleged physical, sexual and psychological abuse spanning a time period from 1932 until 1991, when the school was closed because of declining enrollment and financial struggles.
The statement of claim, which contains allegations that have not been proven in court, alleges the two named plaintiffs suffered repeated abuse at the hands of teachers, staff and fellow students in the 1970s and 1980s.
Merchant said he expects the lawsuit will be certified as a class action about five months from now. After that, the timeline for a resolution of the case will depend largely on the province’s willingness to negotiate a fair settlement, he said, adding provincial officials are aware that abuse against students was a problem at many schools for the deaf, not just the one in Saskatoon.
“Experts have warned for years that children who attend residential schools for the deaf are at a significantly higher risk of being sexually abused,” the statement of claim argues.
“Basic safety improvements, from better staff training and screening to more meaningful oversight, were lacking.”
The suit alleges students were forced to attend the school, and were forbidden from using American Sign Language (ASL) — the most commonly used form of English among deaf Canadians — which left them isolated and vulnerable, with “a profoundly diminished ability to communicate about the abuse they received.”
The Merchant Law Group, which has offices in several areas of Canada, specializes in large class actions and was heavily involved with Indian residential school claims.
The firm has already filed class actions alleging widespread abuse at government-run schools for the deaf in two other provinces, and is expected to file similar suits in all provinces except New Brunswick and Prince Edward Island.
A spokesperson for Saskatchewan Education said they have not yet received a copy of the statement of claim and declined comment while the matter is before the courts.
Former students of a now-closed residential school for the deaf in Saskatoon officially launched a class action lawsuit against the province Tuesday, alleging the government-funded school was a haven for child abusers over the course of several decades.
Although the statement of claim filed at Court of Queen’s Bench in Regina names only two individual plaintiffs, a total of 52 former students of the R.J.D. Williams School for the Deaf have already joined, according to prominent Regina lawyer Tony Merchant, whose firm is handling the case.
Merchant told TheStarPhoenix.com he expects news reports about the existence of the suit will prompt more plaintiffs — possibly thousands — to come forward seeking compensation for alleged physical, sexual and psychological abuse spanning a time period from 1932 until 1991, when the school was closed because of declining enrollment and financial struggles.
The statement of claim, which contains allegations that have not been proven in court, alleges the two named plaintiffs suffered repeated abuse at the hands of teachers, staff and fellow students in the 1970s and 1980s.
Merchant said he expects the lawsuit will be certified as a class action about five months from now. After that, the timeline for a resolution of the case will depend largely on the province’s willingness to negotiate a fair settlement, he said, adding provincial officials are aware that abuse against students was a problem at many schools for the deaf, not just the one in Saskatoon.
“Experts have warned for years that children who attend residential schools for the deaf are at a significantly higher risk of being sexually abused,” the statement of claim argues.
“Basic safety improvements, from better staff training and screening to more meaningful oversight, were lacking.”
The suit alleges students were forced to attend the school, and were forbidden from using American Sign Language (ASL) — the most commonly used form of English among deaf Canadians — which left them isolated and vulnerable, with “a profoundly diminished ability to communicate about the abuse they received.”
The Merchant Law Group, which has offices in several areas of Canada, specializes in large class actions and was heavily involved with Indian residential school claims.
The firm has already filed class actions alleging widespread abuse at government-run schools for the deaf in two other provinces, and is expected to file similar suits in all provinces except New Brunswick and Prince Edward Island.
A spokesperson for Saskatchewan Education said they have not yet received a copy of the statement of claim and declined comment while the matter is before the courts.
