Close X
Wednesday, December 4, 2024
ADVT 
National

Former Royal Winnipeg Ballet Student Suing School, Former Instructor

Darpan News Desk The Canadian Press, 01 Dec, 2016 11:30 AM
    WINNIPEG — A former student with the Royal Winnipeg Ballet is suing the company and a former instructor, alleging she was sexually assaulted and exploited in the 1990s.
     
    She says she suffered mental distress, body image issues, eating disorders and nightmares.
     
    The woman, now 35, was a student and ballerina at the school from 1991-1998.
     
    A statement of claim was filed in Waterloo, Ont., on Nov. 22.
     
    In the statement, the woman alleges that during her early years at the school, teacher Bruce Monk took photos of her, some of which were featured in a promotional pamphlet for the school.
     
    Between 1996 and 1999, the woman claims Monk asked her to take part in private photo shoots.
     
    She says the photos started as “relatively benign” head shots and dance poses, but the poses became "increasingly sexualized" at Monk’s request.
     
     
    She alleges Monk asked her when she was 16 to do two nude photo shoots and while she felt uncomfortable, she did them because she felt “compelled to please” Monk, who was a “well-respected figure and a man of influence” at the ballet company.
     
    The woman says the last nude photo shoot left her feeling “violated and dirty, damaging her self-esteem.”
     
    The lawsuit alleges the negative impact of the incidents led to the woman to quit her “budding dance career.”
     
    The claim alleges Monk used his position of trust and authority as a teacher to capitalize on the woman’s vulnerabilities.
     
    The woman alleges the school “did nothing to inquire about the appropriateness of these shoots, and was wilfully blind to them.”
     
    None of the allegations has been proven in court.
     
    The Royal Winnipeg Ballet fired Monk in April 2015 when it found he was the target of a police investigation — an investigation that has subsequently been closed.
     
    The organization says it can't comment on the details of the suit, but “when initial allegations against this individual came to light approximately two years ago, the RWB removed him from his role and subsequently terminated him.”
     
    A statement of defence has not been filed.

    MORE National ARTICLES

    Nova Scotia Christmas Tree On The Way To Boston, Premier Attends Send Off

    Nova Scotia Christmas Tree On The Way To Boston, Premier Attends Send Off
    HALIFAX — Nova Scotia dispatched its annual gift of thanks to Boston today, sending a 14-metre white spruce to the city that pitched in 99 years ago after the Halifax Explosion killed or injured 11,000 people.

    Nova Scotia Christmas Tree On The Way To Boston, Premier Attends Send Off

    Quebec Premier Opposes Plans To Build Muslim Residential Community Near Montreal

    Quebec Premier Opposes Plans To Build Muslim Residential Community Near Montreal
    MARRAKECH, Morocco — Quebec's premier is opposing a developer's controversial proposal to build a Muslim housing community on Montreal's south shore.

    Quebec Premier Opposes Plans To Build Muslim Residential Community Near Montreal

    No Charges Against Quebec Police Accused Of Abusing Native Women: Reports

    No Charges Against Quebec Police Accused Of Abusing Native Women: Reports
    MONTREAL — Crown officials will not lay charges against Quebec provincial police in the alleged sexual abuse of indigenous women, various media reported Tuesday.

    No Charges Against Quebec Police Accused Of Abusing Native Women: Reports

    Finding Van Gogh: Douglas Coupland Locates Lookalike To Be Featured In Art Piece

    Finding Van Gogh: Douglas Coupland Locates Lookalike To Be Featured In Art Piece
    VANCOUVER — A British man bearing a striking resemblance to Vincent van Gogh is the muse for a new work of art by Douglas Coupland.

    Finding Van Gogh: Douglas Coupland Locates Lookalike To Be Featured In Art Piece

    Latest Drug Overdoses In Winnipeg May Be Fentanyl-Related: Police

    Latest Drug Overdoses In Winnipeg May Be Fentanyl-Related: Police
    WINNIPEG — Police in Winnipeg say three people who died of a drug overdose may be the latest victims of a rise in the use of fentanyl.

    Latest Drug Overdoses In Winnipeg May Be Fentanyl-Related: Police

    13 Canadians Admitted To Hospital Daily In 2014-15 For Opioid Overdose: Report

    13 Canadians Admitted To Hospital Daily In 2014-15 For Opioid Overdose: Report
    TORONTO — An analysis of opioid overdoses in 2014-15 found 13 Canadians per day were hospitalized after taking pain-killing opioid medications like oxycodone and morphine.

    13 Canadians Admitted To Hospital Daily In 2014-15 For Opioid Overdose: Report