Close X
Wednesday, November 13, 2024
ADVT 
National

Woman drops lawsuit alleging sex abuse by former Olympic CEO John Furlong

Darpan News Desk The Canadian Press, 23 Dec, 2014 05:33 PM

    BURNS LAKE, B.C. — A woman who dropped a lawsuit alleging former Olympic CEO John Furlong sexually abused her while a teacher in Burns Lake, B.C., says she feels like a weight has been lifted off her shoulders.

    Beverly Abraham's lawsuit against Furlong was dismissed in B.C. Supreme Court on Friday with no costs to either party, after she asked the court to allow her to withdraw the legal action.

    Abraham said three of her family members have died recently, including her brother who was like a "twin" to her, and she couldn't handle the stress of the lawsuit on top of her grief.

    "A lot was just really heavy on my shoulders. I was going through a lot of stress with this," she said in a phone interview Tuesday.

    She says she decided that discontinuing her lawsuit was the best option for her to move on with her life after consulting with hereditary chiefs from her First Nation.

    "I am relieved. It's just like, you know when something weighs you down and it's just thousands and thousands of pounds laying on your shoulders? It lifted me up," she said.

    "Now I can move on with my life and be happy, and start my grieving for my loved ones that I lost. I never grieved for them because I was thinking too much of the suit."

    A statement from Furlong's legal counsel said he has always maintained the allegations from Abraham and two other accusers are false, and an RCMP investigation has also concluded Abraham's allegations are not supported.

    Furlong still faces lawsuits from Grace West and an unidentified man, who both allege they were sexually assaulted by Furlong while they were students at Immaculata Roman Catholic elementary school in 1969 and 1970.

    Their lawsuits claim Furlong, who was a physical education teacher, in separate incidents isolated them after class and molested them. The legal documents also allege physical abuse and name-calling, including "dirty Indian" and "squaw."

    None of the allegations have been proven in court, and the former Vancouver Olympic boss has forcefully denied the claims.

    Furlong would not comment Tuesday on the two outstanding claims as they remain before the courts.

    Lawyer Jason Gratl represented all of the claimants but has withdrawn as their counsel. He said no inferences should be drawn from the situation.

    In court documents filed last week, Furlong said he was having "significant difficulty" communicating with West. He said the addresses provided appear to be non-residential P.O. boxes.

    A trial is set for Mar. 30, 2015.

    "The allegations made by the three plaintiffs have had and continue to have devastating consequences financially and emotionally for Mr. Furlong and his family," the documents read. "Mr. Furlong has taken all available steps to date to bring a swift resolution to the three actions."

    The Roman Catholic diocese that ran Immaculata elementary school in Burns Lake, 1000 kilometres north of Vancouver, questioned in a statement of defence whether West was ever a student at the school.

    Justice Miriam Gropper has ordered disclosure of the unidentified man's residential school records.

    The allegations against Furlong surfaced in a 2012 newspaper article written by freelance journalist Laura Robinson that claimed he abused students while teaching in northern B.C. in the late 1960s and 1970s.

    Furlong is suing the reporter for libel, while Robinson is suing Furlong for defamation.

    MORE National ARTICLES

    Imprisoned journalist warned Al Jazeera tactics could come back to 'bite' them

    Imprisoned journalist warned Al Jazeera tactics could come back to 'bite' them
    An Egyptian-Canadian journalist who has spent the last year in a Cairo prison sounded the alarm about his network's approach to Egypt's precarious security situation months before he and his colleagues were arrested, documents obtained by The Canadian Press suggest.

    Imprisoned journalist warned Al Jazeera tactics could come back to 'bite' them

    Jurors in Magnotta trial begin seventh day of deliberations

    Jurors in Magnotta trial begin seventh day of deliberations
    MONTREAL — Jurors deciding the fate of Luka Rocco Magnotta have begun their seventh day of deliberations.

    Jurors in Magnotta trial begin seventh day of deliberations

    Trudeau promises he'd be accessible PM, unmuzzle bureaucrats, ministers

    Trudeau promises he'd be accessible PM, unmuzzle bureaucrats, ministers
    OTTAWA — Justin Trudeau is promising to scrap Stephen Harper's brand of message discipline if he becomes prime minister, giving more freedom to bureaucrats, ditching the scripts for cabinet ministers and making them and himself more accessible to journalists.

    Trudeau promises he'd be accessible PM, unmuzzle bureaucrats, ministers

    White Christmas doubtful for many in more populated parts of Canada: Forecast

    White Christmas doubtful for many in more populated parts of Canada: Forecast
    TORONTO — The Weather Network says Canadians' dreams of a white Christmas likely won't come true for many of those living in the more populated parts of the country.

    White Christmas doubtful for many in more populated parts of Canada: Forecast

    Police In Delta, B.C., Pull Wristband Supporting Officer Accused Of Murder

    Police In Delta, B.C., Pull Wristband Supporting Officer Accused Of Murder
    DELTA, B.C. — A Metro Vancouver police department says it is removing online promotions for the sale of a wristband that support of an officer facing a second-degree murder charge.

    Police In Delta, B.C., Pull Wristband Supporting Officer Accused Of Murder

    Five Powerful Earthquakes Strike Off The Coast Of B.C. Over The Weekend

    Five Powerful Earthquakes Strike Off The Coast Of B.C. Over The Weekend
    A series of powerful earthquakes shook the coast of B.C. over the weekend. The federal agency that monitors earthquakes in Canada says there were five offshore quakes on Saturday and Sunday.

    Five Powerful Earthquakes Strike Off The Coast Of B.C. Over The Weekend