Calgary teacher got away with decades of sexual assaults, lawsuit alleges

Hundreds of women may have been victimized as teens by a Calgary teacher who died by suicide after he was charged with sexual offences against former students, according to lawyers who launched $40-million lawsuit.

The lawsuit, filed in Calgary, is a proposed class action against the Calgary Board of Education (CBE) and Michael Gregory's estate.

Gregory was a teacher at John Ware Junior High from 1986 to 2006.

There, he was known as "the cool teacher," according to Eryn MacKenzie, who says she was victimized by Gregory. 

"My very first sexual experience was with my teacher at his house, when I was 15," MacKenzie said through tears at a Monday news conference. 

She is one of three named complainants on the lawsuit which seeks to hold the CBE accountable, alleging teachers knew about Gregory's behaviour, yet did nothing to protect students.

MacKenzie says she grieves her lost childhood.

"I remember being in my teens and watching people have fun and never being able to connect with that because I was hiding this inside of myself."

In February, Gregory was charged with 17 counts of sexual assault and sexual exploitation involving six students. He took his own life five days later. 

Despite his death, the police investigation continued and 10 more complainants were identified, and 35 new witnesses, according to Calgary police.

Lawyer Jonathan Denis, who filed the suit on behalf of the plaintiffs, alleges the school board failed to protect students.

"We are asserting that the CBE knew or ought to have known that this was going on," said Denis. "But more importantly did not have an adequate process or protocol in place, a policy to investigate these claims."

Two women who say they were victimized by Gregory — MacKenzie and Kelly Schneider — spoke Monday as the named plaintiffs on the lawsuit alongside Cody Bonkowsky, who says he witnessed and tried to sound the alarm on Gregory's alleged predatory behaviour.

Bonkowsky says he witnessed Gregory taking girls to his home straight from the school parking lot.