A former student of St. Michael’s College School says there was “universal disappointment” among alumni at a special meeting Tuesday evening, to discuss allegations of assault and sexual assault involving students.
About 400 graduates of the all-boys private school attended the closed-door meeting, which outlined the administration’s handling of the allegations and the subsequent police investigations.
“There was certainly a mood in the room that suggested we needed a reset the leadership. This is a display of failure of leadership at the school,” Dave Trafford told CTV News Toronto. He graduated from St. Michael’s College School in 1979.
The principal of St. Michael’s College School, Greg Reeves, has come under fire for not notifying police immediately about a video showing an alleged sexual assault. Reeves has admitted he became aware of the video on Nov. 12, but did not inform police until Nov. 14. He maintains that he took this course of action in order to conduct an internal investigation, speak with the victim, and conduct expulsion meetings.
“The reality was I was concerned about that boy. I didn’t know who he was, I didn’t know who the other people were in the video, I wasn’t even sure at that point where it took place and when it took place,” Reeves said at a news conference on Monday. “I made that decision in the best interest of that boy and there’s nothing else I can say.”
Police have said they became aware of the video after being contacted by the media.
“When we left this building as graduates, we were sent out into the world to be leaders and we took goodness, discipline and knowledge with us to do that. They failed on goodness, they failed on discipline and I would suggest they failed on knowledge,” Trafford said.
“There was disappointment among the alumni and there were guys there from classes from 1958 to 2016,” Trafford said. “(It was) universal disappointment.”
Another alumnus told CTV News Toronto that while the principal’s heart may have been in the right place, the school should have taken immediate action to contact the police after seeing the video.
The board of directors of St. Michael’s College School issued a statement Wednesday afternoon saying the members were “deeply saddened by the recent incidents” and that they stand firmly behind the administration’s handling of the allegations.
“Both President Fr. Jefferson Thompson, CSB and Principal Greg Reeves were hired because of their dedication and care for students throughout their careers,” Board Chair Michael Forsayeth said in the statement. “That remains the primary focus, and they continue to have the full support of the Board for how this situation is being handled. They are both men of the highest integrity and continue to have our trust to lead us forward.”
“Witnessing the standing ovation at last night’s alumni meeting, many of whom are current and past parents, I believe that Fr. Thompson and Mr. Reeves have their overwhelming support. As a school community, we want to ensure that these incidents do not happen again.”
Forsayeth called the incidents “offensive” and said the board’s priority “remains on the victims and the safety and well-being of the entire student body, faculty, and staff.”
Toronto police are currently investigating six incidents involving students of St. Michael’s College School. Authorities say a number of the incidents were captured on video.
According to police, two of the incidents are being investigated as sex assault cases.
In one of those investigations, police have charged six students with sexual assault, gang sexual assault and sexual assault with a weapon.
The students, who are all between the ages of 14 and 15, cannot be identified under the Youth Criminal Justice Act.
None of the charges have been proven in court.
Dave Trafford is a contributor to NEWSTALK 1010, which is a division of Bell Media, CTV News Toronto’s parent company.
