Vancouver archdiocese and private school deny wrongdoing, sue alleged abusers

The Archdiocese of Vancouver and a private Catholic school have denied wrongdoing over claims of sexual abuse from former students and have filed their own lawsuits against the alleged abusers.

The archdiocese and St. Thomas More Collegiate in Burnaby filed separate lawsuits last week against the men who belonged to a Catholic order and transferred to B.C. from Mount Cashel, the Newfoundland orphanage notorious for the sexual abuse that took place there.

The claims come soon after a court certified a class-action lawsuit by students, naming the archdiocese, St. Thomas More Collegiate and others as defendants, alleging abuse by members of the Christian Brothers at the school and Vancouver College, another Catholic private institution.

The statement of claim filed by the archdiocese denies it oversaw the two schools or had any authority over major decisions and names six men as well as the B.C. government as defendants, saying the Ministry of Education had the authority to inspect private schools and to revoke or suspend teachers' certificates.

The claim filed by St. Thomas More Collegiate names five men as well as the Christian Brothers and its branches in Canada and North America, saying it is unaware of any specific instances of abuse by members of the religious order, but the defendants themselves would be at fault for any abuse that did occur.