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Journalist Penned Letter Alleging John Furlong Abused Over 40 Former Students: Court

Darpan News Desk The Canadian Press, 24 Jun, 2015 01:21 PM

VANCOUVER — A defamation trial has heard that a journalist suing former Vancouver Olympics CEO John Furlong claimed he abused more than 40 First Nations students at a northern British Columbia school.

Former 2010 Games spokeswoman Renee Smith-Valade told B.C. Supreme Court that Laura Robinson passed her a letter during a chance encounter at a Toronto airport and claimed his alleged actions had resulted in at least one suicide.

Reading from the letter, Smith-Valade said Robinson invited her to take part in an off-the-record interview as a way to be a member of the human race.

Robinson is suing Furlong for defamation based on public comments he made after she wrote a newspaper article alleging he had physically and verbally abused eight former First Nations students.

She alleged the abuse took place while Furlong was a teacher at a Roman Catholic elementary school in Burns Lake, B.C., about 45 years ago.

Furlong has testified that the allegations are untrue.

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