Last November, former students of Grenville Christian College launched a $1 billion lawsuit against the school, the Anglican Church of Canada, two Anglican priests who were headmasters at the college, and a Christian group called the Community of Jesus. The students alleged they were physically and emotionally abused and harassed while attending classes there.
A new lawsuit for additional $200 million has now been added to the first.
A second lawsuit filed against Grenville Christian College and the Anglican Diocese of Ontario claims the now-closed private school was operated as a mind-control cult that left former students physically, mentally and sexually traumatized.
The suit paints a bizarre portrait of the school near Brockville, Ont., where students were told that illnesses and disabilities were the result of unconfessed sin and where a former headmaster, an Anglican priest, preached that AIDS and killer bees in Texas were evidence of the approaching end of the world.
The suit, filed by former students as a class action, asks for $200-million in damages and seeks a so-called Mareva injunction to block the sale of the school and its 107-hectare property overlooking the St. Lawrence River.
The new lawsuit focuses on the close relationship between the college and the Anglican Church, claiming that the school survived as long as it did because the Anglican connection afforded credibility and publicity.
A criminal investigation by Ontario Provincial Police is continuing.
It is important to note that none of the charges and allegations has been proven in court.
If the allegations are true, it makes me wonder how they got away with it for so many years; and it makes me grieve for the children who (again, if the allegations are true), we likely turned away from the Christian walk as a result.
Unbelieveable…..I see Churches going up for sale in the near future just to pay the penalties in the Courts.
I feel dreadful about the children. But is it just another example of God’s face being turned away from the Anglican Church of Canada? Is it actually part of the speeding up of the collapse of the ACoC? I think the death rattle is getting louder. The money losses sure will hurt and will all the remaining people in the ACoC have to pay up as they did with the Residential Schools disaster? I don’t think this will go down well if they have to cough up again. It sure is a warning to families to beware of the ACoC and it’s affiliates. Which might be a good thing. What a mess.
I was a former student there, and am part of the court case. I can tell you, the allegations are certainly true, and damaging to this day. The worst kind of abuse i feel, is the mental and emotional. Physical abuse heals, but the other, is very hard to undo.
As for a walk with Christ, God will call people to him, never fear of that. With Christ all things are possible. Yes they turned me off of God for a long time, because I saw evil in the face of what was supposed to be Gods love, satans lie. The perfect way to make people flee from God. But God is more powerful and is unfailing in his love and is our savior and healer. He has carried me through it all, just like in the poem “Footprints.” Satan loves when God is blamed for the evil he has done.
Flower, I didn’t mean to imply that I thought you or anybody else had made anything up; I was only being cautious because nothing has been proved in court yet.
i need to know how to get involved. i was there in.. 1989 and i have a LOT to say!!!!!!!!
A dear friend of mine, i recently found out, suffered intense abuses during his time at GCC which go a long way to explaining his continued self-destructive behaviour and choices in life up to the current day. I really wish there was some way to expedite these proceedings and give him some recompense sooner so he could finally have the chance to get some of his life back and start working on the healing, at very least to pay for therapy and rehab and give him time to redirect his life in more positive ways. He is a dear soul and deserves a break finally in a life of hard knocks. His experience at GCC was clearly one very big knock. Young kids at that pivotal age should never have to be subjected to that, where authority takes advantage of vulnerable youth whom their parent’s entrusted to what they thought was a safe and nurturing place of learning.
correction: of course, i meant to say, GCC, not UCC.
Fixed! — Admin
I was also a student there from 1976-1978 – I suffered for years with self-esteem issues, relationship issues, and not knowing how to have a relationship. I had years of therapy and finally had to shut it all off. I could write and write of all the abuse – we will get our day.
I was a student there when it was Berean. I had relatives there since and tried to have it closed as it turned into Grenville, the police knew, CAS fired their investigation. The head of volunteer services made it clear that she stoped the investigation. She is responsible for this continuing. The reporter was fired as he found what I said was true. They need to investigate the Death of student Mike Grey who died because he was not allowed his heart medication… what about it police?
I forgot to say that I just found out about this all yesterday for the first time. I am contacting as many as I can. There are way more abused and it goes back further…. I have names and some addresses. I have had nightmares for years but hope they had gone away. It was Chuck Farnsworth (jr)that found Mike’s body dead in the dorm.
My girlfriend went here and also experienced some of these abuses. Can anyone give me any contact information about this lawsuit? She kind of wants to turn her back on these days but I think she needs closure or at least to talk to other people about it. Her parents still don’t believe her and the terrible things that went on at this horrible place.
kate,
I went to this school and suffered abuse at the hands of the priests there. Al Haig, the first year, but mostly from Fr. Farnsworth. I just wanted to comfort you in fact that, no matter what these men did, I knew it did not come from God. It has not shaken my faith in God who I know is only capable of love. I knew the priests did not represent God, they only represented the evil that is also here on this earth with us until our Lords return.
God Bless
Thank you, Shelagh.
It has taken many years for me to come to deal with the issues that happened to me and many others at the school. I received the article can not even remember when but tucked away. Dealing with my own life gifts a son with Aspergers Syndrome and the fight to find the gift and another son with ADHD again finding the answers takes a lot to do. What went on there was abuse against the innocent growing minds.
Mine was the mind game for sure and it has taken me a long time to access that there are people capable of this.
I am 43 this July and will certainly be looking into this further to give my exact recollection of went on there through a 14 year old girls mind.
I was at the school from 1982 for 3 years.
I was a student at the school for three years(76 to 78) and k ew nothing of the lawsuit until this week. Although I’m not sure if I would want to be in involved in it, I can relate to much of what I am hearing and hope everyone finds the closure they are looking for
I Just wanted to say to those past students that I hope you find a way to not allow GCC to take one more moment of your life then it already has. Life is far to short.
Jlaw, I just read your post. We were students at the same time. I hope you are doing well.
I was a student there for my last two years of High School ’85,’86. I was older when I got therewith a healthy distrust for authority so was able to keep from the radical brain washing. I remember doing what they told me to do and all the time thinking to myself “what a bunch of f#*king whack jobs”. I used to feel bad for the kids who had been there since elementary…they were truly brainwashed to it all. Im not sure if I could blame the place entirely for turning me away from religion as that was assured anyway. They definately gave me a healthy dose of cynicism. The writing was definately on the wall for this to eventually happen as moderation is something Farnsworth didnt understand. Finally I can throw that stupid prayer book away that freak signed. Good luck to the abused students my heart goes out to you, I hope someday you can forgive them. I love to watch as our conciousness grows and these places and people fall. Ray
I was a student back in 1980 ,, that place completely fucked me ,, I was 14 when i was there , i lost my 17 yr old sister while i was there to a car accident ,, i was called down to the vestry where Farnsworth ,Haig , Dr stewart and i think a couple others ,were waiting for me to tell me the news ,, first it started very calm then it went to my sister was a sinner , this is what god does to people like this , im a sinner and im going to probably die the same way if i dont confess and accept god into my life ,, let me tell you about the light sessions in the boiler room ,,, flashlights , lets just say my pj s where dropped to my feet while being screamed at and berated about why i dropped my pajamas down , then told to touch myself ,then berated for that , i was taught there you do what your told and do it fast ,,Dr Stewart use to like me alot and i will leave it at that , not allowed to talk to others for days, on other occasions for a week or two ,i got more but ,,,, i got home that year i was done , 2 yrs later i left home and lived on the sreets of Toronto for 6,7 yrs in and out of jail , male prostitution , drugs, everything, and i blame gcc !!!!
^^^^^ troll.
Maybe not, Jack.