'Just not true': Plaintiff in sex abuse lawsuit upset over Calgary Stampede apology
CTV
One of the three dozen men behind a sexual abuse lawsuit filed against the Calgary Stampede says its apology after a partial court settlement last week falls short.
One of the three dozen men behind a sexual abuse lawsuit filed against the Calgary Stampede says its apology after a partial court settlement last week falls short.
"I think what they told Calgarians and Canadians is just not true," said the man, identified in court documents as R.W.
The documents outline the settlement in which the Stampede accepts responsibility in a class-action lawsuit alleging a staffer at its Young Canadians School of Performing Arts groomed and abused boys over many years. Philip Heerema is serving a 10-year sentence for luring six boys into sexual relationships when he worked for the school.
In a statement last week, the Stampede said it didn't hear of problems until 2014, when it acted.
"We took immediate action upon learning of the allegations in 2014," it said.
Court documents from last week's settlement – which include evidence from Heerema's criminal trial – allegeconcerns about him were reported to Stampede authorities as early as 1988.
"(The Stampede) says they should have known sooner," R.W. said. "(The documents) clearly lay out multiple times since 1988 that people had come forward."
