#Canada #BC – The British Columbia Supreme Court approved a $30-million settlement on Friday in a class-action lawsuit involving historical claims of physical, psychological and sexual abuse at two Metro Vancouver Catholic schools.
Justice Simon Coval approved the agreement against Vancouver College, St. Thomas More Collegiate and the Roman Catholic Archbishop of Vancouver. More than 200 people had joined the class. Coval stated he had “no hesitation” in approving the deal, which featured a trauma-informed and confidential claims process designed to spare survivors the difficulties of a full trial.
The lawsuit alleged that members of the Christian Brothers of Ireland in Canada were transferred to the schools from the Mount Cashel orphanage in St. John’s, Newfoundland and Labrador. Mount Cashel became notorious for the abuse suffered by children there from the 1950s to the 1970s. Court documents noted that four of those transferred to the Vancouver-area schools were later criminally convicted after the Mount Cashel crimes came to light in the 1990s. Among them were Edward English and Kevin Short.
Former students described suffering and witnessing sexual, physical and mental abuse at the schools. They reported resulting mental health challenges, relationship and employment difficulties, substance abuse and loss of faith. The claims of abuse spanned from 1976 to 2013 at Vancouver College and from 1976 to 1989 at St. Thomas More Collegiate.
The case began in 2021 when former Vancouver College student Darren Liptrot filed a lawsuit. He alleged physical and sexual abuse by Edward English, a Christian Brother who had previously confessed to police in St. John’s in 1975 about abusing boys at Mount Cashel. A cover-up allowed several Brothers, later known as part of the “Mount Cashel Six,” to be transferred to the B.C. schools, where they taught for more than a decade before the allegations became public.
The B.C. Supreme Court certified the matter as a class action in March 2023. It was originally set for trial in 2024 but was adjourned after a potential settlement was reached in February 2026, subject to court approval.
Most class members did not object to the settlement. However, many expressed disappointment over the settling defendants’ apparent lack of accountability and moral responsibility for the events that occurred at the two schools. Several individuals opted out to pursue their own separate lawsuits.
The schools issued public statements expressing profound concern and sympathy for the victims. Vancouver College described the settlement as part of a trauma-informed reconciliation process and said it condemned abuse in any form. St. Thomas More Collegiate called it a significant step forward and said it remained dedicated to supporting survivors.
The Archbishop of Vancouver also submitted statements expressing outrage and discouragement at the failure of church leaders to prevent the abuse, the practice of moving abusers around, the lack of care for victims, and a commitment to supporting survivors on the path to healing.
The settlement established a two-tier compensation process. Under the first tier, claimants could submit a written claim describing the abuse and its impact for compensation of up to $30,000. A second tier applied to those reporting moderate to severe impacts and involved a more detailed review that could include additional information, witnesses and formal interviews. The agreement recognized that many alleged events occurred decades earlier and stated that a lack of documentation would not automatically bar a claim.
Individual defendants connected to the Christian Brothers, including English, were not part of the settlement, allowing the lawsuit to continue against them. Legal fees for class counsel were expected to amount to up to one-third of the total settlement fund.
The approval marked the end of a lengthy legal process for the majority of claimants seeking resolution over the historical allegations.
Image: St. Thomas More Collegiate in Burnaby (Metro Vancouver).
