‘Less of a human:’ Former student suing Ontario boarding school for sexual abuse

Former student of Robert Land Academy is suing the boarding school as he claims there was physical and sexual abuse that went ignored. Kamil Karamali reports.

Content Warning: This story contains graphic imagery and descriptions. Reader discretion is advised

A former student of Robert Land Academy is suing the military-style boarding school for $3.5 million -- claiming damages for sexual and physical assault, mental distress and forceable confinement.

The plaintiff, who is only identified as B.C. due to a court-ordered publication ban, alleges he was physically abused by staff and sexually assaulted by a student who was his supervisor at the southern Ontario boarding school from January 1997 to December 1999.

“It made me feel like less of a human, it made me feel depressed and alone and isolated,” B.C. said to CTV News in a Zoom interview on January 31. “I was treated like a pariah, it was really tough.”

B.C. claims staff verbally and physically abused him and other students; including calling him “slow” and “dumb” -- and alleging one staff member by the name of Sgt. Zahra “forcefully slammed his body to the floor.”

B.C. says when he reported Sgt. Zahra to superiors and told them he wanted to contact police -- he alleges he was told not to take action and that they " would never let him write a letter to his parents about the incident, let alone the police," according to the Statement of Claim.

He also alleges other staff members punished students, including “gargling cod liver oil for a minute and then swallowing it,” which made him sometimes vomit.

“The physical [abuse], yeah -- you ask anybody that was there with me, it happened to them, it happened to me, they did it in front of everybody,” said B.C. “It happened all the time, it was the norm.”

Allegations of sexual assaults

The lawsuit claims B.C.‘s direct supervising student, named as Matthew Macdonald, repeatedly sexually abused and assaulted him -- including performing “unwanted and non-consensual sexual activities” with him.

In the Statement of Claim, it’s alleged the incidents escalated -- where Macdonald “would wait in the bathroom or halls of their shared barracks, cornering B.C. with his penis exposed and demanding oral sex.”

The lawsuit alleges “B.C. attempted to refuse on several occasions but eventually began complying out of fear.”

When B.C. attempted to inform staff of the alleged abuses -- B.C. claims they did not believe him.

“He was accused of having brought it on himself, he was treated as though he had somehow instigated it,” said B.C.‘s lawyer Alexi Wood. “He was then isolated, he was then put in segregation and was removed from the rest of the school -- he then left the school shortly after.”

B.C. says he sent letters to his parents, asking to come home, but they only realized the full extent of what was allegedly happening at the school after a teacher called them to tell them of B.C.’s claims of sexual assault – they then pulled him out of the school.

B.C. says the alleged abuse has resulted in decades of depression and addiction to substances.

“I had suicidal thoughts, I have self-harmed and I ended up being hospitalized -- I couldn’t imagine not being around for my family and the people I love over something that happened so long ago, but it’s obviously still affecting me.”

Robert Land Academy faced multiple lawsuits

Court documents show the military-style private school has faced multiple lawsuits in the past.

“We do know as well that there are other suits, not our firm but other firms, that have launched similar types of litigation against Robert Land Academy, so we have heard of patterns of abuse that isn’t just isolated to B.C.” said Wood.

“The allegations of abuse go up to at least to 2010, we’ve seen other claims that have addressed abuse that’s taken place in the 2000s,” added Wood.

B.C. said he would like to see his lawsuit invoke systemic change in the school.

“I want policies to change, I want something to happen so that no one has to go through this again,” he said. “I don’t know how to fix a school that’s completely broken.”

In response to CTV News’ request for comment, Robert Land Academy says “the safety and well-being of our students is our top priority and these alleged incidents that have been reported in the media do not reflect the values of the school, past or present.”

“Upon learning of the alleged incident involving one of the school’s staff members, we immediately placed the individual on leave,” said the school’s headmaster Lt.-Col. P.D. Stock. in an email to CTV News on Sunday. “Out of respect for the privacy of those involved and a fair and impartial process, we will not provide further comment as the legal investigation remains ongoing.

If you or someone you know is struggling with sexual assault or trauma, the following resources are available to support people in crisis:

• Call 911 if you are in immediate danger or fear for your safety.
• The Canadian Association of Sexual Assault Centres' website has a comprehensive list of sexual assault centres in Canada that offer information, advocacy and counselling. 
• The Ending Violence Association of Canada‘s website has links to helplines, support services and locations across Canada that offer sexual assault kits.
• Indian Residential School Survivors Society crisis lines: [phone] or [phone] (24/7)
• Toronto Rape Crisis Centre crisis line: [phone] (24/7)
• Canadian Human Trafficking Hotline: [phone] (24/7)
• Trans Lifeline: [phone]
• Suicide Crisis Helpline: call or text 988 (24/7)
• Sexual Misconduct Support and Resource Centre for current and former Canadian Armed Forces members: [phone]
• Read about your rights as a victim on the Canadian Resource Centre for Victims of Crime website.