Parties agree on $8 million settlement in Nunavut teacher sexual abuse lawsuit
CBC
Both the plaintiffs and the government of Nunavut have agreed to an $8 million settlement in a class-action lawsuit involving Nunavut students who were sexually abused by a teacher between 1969 and 1981.
Maurice Cloughley served a 10-year sentence after pleading guilty mid-trial in 1996. Cloughley pleaded guilty to nine charges of abusing school children in several Arctic communities between 1967 and 1981. He originally faced 22 charges.
The class-action lawsuit alleges that the territorial government did not do enough to protect students from abuse and may have known about the abuse without doing anything about it.
The parties are just waiting on approval from the court. If the court approves the settlement, the Nunavut government will have to pay $8 million.
It has taken years to get to this point.
In 2004, a lawsuit with 31 plaintiffs was filed at the Nunavut Court of Justice. In 2008, a second similar lawsuit with 32 plaintiffs was filed against the federal government and the governments of Nunavut and the Northwest Territories. But the lawsuits stalled until 2015, when two law firms teamed up and combined the cases into a single new case. Now, the lawsuit is only against the Nunavut government, said Alan Regel, one of the lawyers involved in the class action.
The government of Nunavut did not respond to interview requests from CBC by deadline.
Regel said some of the plaintiffs involved in the case have died at this point, given how many years it's taken to proceed.
"We're both, on both sides of the courtroom, doing our best to represent our clients."
Regel said he's confident the court will approve the settlement.
"At the same time, they have the responsibility to oversee it and see that proper noticing has been given," he said.
If approved, the settlement would pay $2 million plus tax and expenses in legal fees and award $15,000 to each of the representative plaintiffs and pay for the administration of the settlement.
Regel said the funds would be divided between class members on the basis of their injuries, up to $250,000 on any individual class member's claim.
A hearing to approve the settlement will be held in the Nunavut Court of Justice in Iqaluit on June 4.
Faulty and aging equipment was to blame for nearly all of the eight hydraulic fuel spills on the TTC in the first five months of 2024, a new report finds, noting a steep increase in spills compared to previous years.
High levels of heavy metals and metalloids in untreated groundwater have been detected in and around Whitehorse, new research suggests.
Elections Nova Scotia will delay the release of provincial election results tonight due to the late opening of a polling station in the riding of Eastern Shore.
The longtime mayor of Kensington is stepping down after a contentious debate over new pickleball courts for the central P.E.I. town.
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau says he's agreed to meet with his provincial and territorial counterparts after Donald Trump threatened to impose hefty tariffs on Canadian goods.
Ontario Premier Doug Ford said Tuesday that U.S. president-elect Donald Trump's threat to slap a 25 per cent tariff on all Canadian goods is "like a family member stabbing you right in the heart."
The Salvation Army can't fundraise in the Avalon Mall after this year. It all comes down to religion
This is the last Christmas season the Salvation Army's annual kettle campaign will be allowed in the Avalon Mall in St. John's, ending a decades-long tradition.
The province and district social services administration boards say plans are in place to ensure people on social assistance do not miss out on benefits as a result of the strike by Canada Post employees.
Near the exit to Truro, N.S., a cluster of colorful tents and a lone RV can be seen alongside Highway 102, some tucked under the overpass for shelter from the elements.
Police and Public Trust, a project of the CBC News Atlantic investigative unit, scrutinizes the largely off-limits police complaint and discipline systems across the region. Journalists are using access to information laws and, in some cases, court challenges to obtain discipline records and data.
Toronto police have arrested a GTA woman who they allege scammed dozens of Taylor Swift fans out of more than $70,000 by promising them tickets that never materialized.