'A huge relief': Settlement of lawsuit over abuse at schools for deaf prompts tears, hugs
CBC
There were tears and embraces in a Halifax courtroom on Friday as a Supreme Court justice approved a settlement in a class action lawsuit over abuse at two schools for deaf children.
Nova Scotia Supreme Court Justice Peter Rosinski approved $36 million in compensation for former students of the School for the Deaf in Halifax and the Interprovincial School for the Education of the Deaf in Amherst, N.S., which operated between 1913 and 1995.
The lawsuit was filed in 2015 after former students came forward with allegations of physical, sexual and emotional abuse at the schools.
The defendants in the case, the Attorney General of Nova Scotia and the Atlantic Provinces Special Education Authority were accused of negligence and breach of fiduciary duty in connection with the abuse.
Michael Perrier, one of the representative plaintiffs, said the decision Friday was a long time coming.
"We've finally gotten our answer," he said through an interpreter. "We got the approval. This is what we've been waiting for. We've been waiting for 10 years. So it's a huge relief."
Richard Martell, the other representative plaintiff in the case, said the recognition and acknowledgement of the abuse will help former students heal.
"It's been an emotional day and I just feel so relieved," Martell said. "I feel like we've been heard and this is over with and now it's our time to move on.
"So I'm excited. I'm excited about our future. I'm excited about us moving towards healing."
In addition to the $36 million in compensation for class members, the settlement will include $3 million for collective benefits, which could include things like improved interpretation services or education for the Deaf community.
The defendants will also pay $2.5 million for the costs of administering the settlement.
Perrier said the monetary compensation will make a difference to former students who were not given an adequate education and have suffered repercussions throughout their lives.
"We lost a lot through our childhood. So many deaf people have entry-level jobs when they could have done so much more had they gotten the education," he said. "I'm looking forward to what's in store for us going forward. I think it's going to be so much better for us."
The judge reserved his decision on how much to compensate the legal team that brought the case forward.
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