Grenville Christian College

History

The campus was built in 1918 as St. Mary's College, a preparatory school run by the Redemptorist Order of the Roman Catholic Church. St. Mary's College operated until 1968.

The St. Mary's College campus was purchased in 1969 by a group called Berean Christian Schools, who envisioned using the facility for training missionaries. Although the exact time line is unclear, Berean Christian Schools began as a private school in 1969 and was renamed Grenville Christian College in 1973. It drew its staff from a religious community called the "Community of Jesus." A former public school principal was hired as headmaster in June 2002.

After 37 years, Grenville Christian College announced its closure on July 30, 2007, citing declining enrollment and unspecified financial pressures. A "Closing Celebration Weekend" was held on the weekend of September 29–30, 2007.

Controversy

One of Canada's national networks, CTV Television Network, aired a documentary film on the[ W5] programme called "In the Name of God", which was released on February 6, 2016 along with the launch of the book, "Grenville", by Andrew J. Hale-Byrne. This latest media reporting on CTV highlighted the close relationship between the Anglican Diocese of Ontario, the Community of Jesus and Grenville Christian College and that the Ontario Provincial Police investigation into abuse of students has been reopened. The Toronto Star followed up this reporting on February 29, 2016. Students reported that they have been punched n the groin and urinated on by staff among other abuses mentioned. " " " " The Ontario Provincial Police criminal investigation into abuse by former staff and members of the Community of Jesus is ongoing. The Crown laid their first charges on October 6, 2016 for sexual assault. Robert Farnsworth, member of the Community of Jesus and former member of Grenville Christian College staff, was arrested on October 5, 2016. Robert Farnsworth is also the son of the Rev. Charles Farnsworth, late Grenville headmaster, and brother of Donald Farnsworth, member of the Community of Jesus and former Grenville Christian College Dean of Boys. "

Students allege extreme humiliations. “Dan Michielsen enrolled at the college in 1985 when he was 15 years old. In an interview with the Star, he said that by the time he left four years later, he was ‘a wreck.’ He alleged that two weeks after arriving at Grenville a staff member woke him up by punching him in the groin, an apparent punishment for talking in his sleep. Michielsen said he was then dragged into the washroom and forced to clean it with a toothbrush. The staff member urinated on him as he scrubbed the floor, he said. Michielsen said he was often berated by staff, who called him ‘disgusting,’ ‘evil,’ a ‘pig,’ and a ‘mutt.’ Now 46, he says he has been left with debilitating self-esteem problems as a result of the alleged abuse. ‘After a while, I just accepted that I was a loser, that I was a s---, that I should just shut my mouth,’ he said. ‘The doubt is always there.’” "

Previously, there were allegations of student abuse and cult practices at the school that were ultimately dismissed by the Anglican Diocese of Ontario. The church went on record rejecting calls to investigate misconduct complaints against school officials due to the OPP Investigation, but the church considered the possibility of sanctioning an ordained minister who was headmaster of the College for two decades. This headmaster and Bishop Henry Gordon Hill were connected to the Community of Jesus, which many claim to be the source of the school's abusive practices. In September 2007, the Ontario Provincial Police began investigating two former headmasters who were also Anglican priests. The chair of the school's Board of Directors and the Bishop of the Diocese of Ontario denied that the school was ever formally affiliated with the Anglican Church of Canada. Anglican priests and bishops, however, had often officiated at the school's chapel services and the school chose to fly the Anglican flag.

Since the school's closing, some former students have claimed punishments by silence and separation ("Discipline"), a form of internal suspension, as well as being woken in the middle of the night by having bright light shone in their faces and being interrogated about their alleged "sins". The former co-publisher of a local newspaper, The Recorder & Times, has stated that his newspaper became aware of allegations of religious cult practices at Grenville Christian College in the late 1980s, but was unable to convince anyone to publicize the story. The paper was also threatened with libel action by a Bay Street law firm.

According to some students in a Globe and Mail article: "the school was almost literally two communities, with one group – overseas students and the sons and daughters of wealthy Ontario families – not knowing what was happening to the other group – children with behaviour problems ... and the children of staff." Some staff children claim to have been treated the most harshly. The acting chairman of the school's Board of Directors formally apologized to students who felt they had been abused at any time in the school's history. In 2007, a lawsuit was launched against the College, the Anglican Church of Canada, two priests and their wives, claiming abuse of students. A second lawsuit was filed in January 2008.

In November 2008, following an investigation, the Ontario Provincial Police announced that there would be no charges laid involving the historical abuse allegations. "The OPP, in consultation with the Crown attorney, have decided not to lay any criminal charges in relation to the extensive investigation," the OPP said in a statement. "It wasn't in the interest of the public to lay any charges," said OPP Sgt. Kristine Rae in an interview with The Recorder and Times. "When you're looking at historical allegations, you're looking at the whole picture."

New York musician Michael Phelan, the son of a former Grenville headmaster and a former student at the school, talked with the OPP at length about his treatment by school staff. Mr. Phelan said: "I understand that it's notoriously difficult to prosecute child abuse cases. But at the same time, it doesn't mean that these things didn't really happen. It doesn't mean that I wasn't abused, that many students weren't abused. And I don't regret coming forward. I hope nobody does."

Conversely, other alumni agree that there were strict aspects to the school but would not categorize them as abusive. On September 3, 2007 the Globe and Mail published a letter to the editor from a former GCC student, Bruce Mackinnon (entitled "The Kind of School It Was"). He wrote: "I object in the strongest terms about your depiction of Grenville Christian College. In every kind of school, mistakes are made. I can assure you, the vast majority of the staff were kind, with only the best interests of the kids at heart. None of the kids expected rigid rules of conduct, but that was the kind of school it was, it was needed. I am one of the many kids who went through there and came out better for it and will be ever grateful to the staff and God. I hold no ill will toward the staff members... Everyone learns in life as they go, none of us are perfect."

Another letter to the editor of the Globe and Mail appeared in the Globe and Mail on September 3, 2007 from former student Jesse D. Billett, Research Fellow, University of Cambridge wrote: "My family could not afford private schooling, but I was granted a full scholarship at Grenville. On graduating, I could reject offers from the University of Toronto and Queen's University in favour of Harvard. The staff had human failings, but their selfless dedication changed my life".

Legal proceedings

As of December 3, 2014 the parties have agreed on the following timetable leading up to trial:

1. Parties to deliver affidavits of documents January 5, 2015
2. Parties to complete examinations for discovery June 30, 2015
3. Parties to deliver Requests to Admit Facts July 31, 2015
4. Parties to respond to Requests to Admit Facts September 30, 2015
5. Parties to exchange expert reports for the purposes of trial November 30, 2015
6. Parties to serve responding expert reports for the purposes of trial January 31, 2016
7. Parties to serve reply expert reports for the purposes of trial March 15, 2016
8. Pre-trial conference March, 2016
9. Parties to identify the documents they will propose to have admitted into evidence and marked as an Exhibit before trial August 15, 2016
10. Each party to identify those documents for which authenticity is not admitted August 31, 2016
11. Parties to finalize proposed groupings or categories of documents for joint document brief and authorities for joint “Key Authorities” brief September 30, 2016
12. Parties may add supplementary list of documents, after reviewing the list of documents from opposing parties October 31, 2016
13. Each party to provide any further “Key Authorities” October 31, 2016
14. Trial TBD