A Calgary judge has approved compensation for over 50 students who were victims of abuse by two former teachers at a local junior high school, marking the conclusion of a class-action lawsuit. The legal action, initiated in 2024, targeted the Calgary Board of Education and the educators at John Ware Junior High. It accused Michael Gregory and Fred Archer of subjecting students to sexual, physical, and psychological abuse between 1988 and 2004.
In a recent ruling, Calgary Court of King’s Bench Justice Michele Hollins greenlit the payouts for the plaintiffs, categorized into seven groups, with individual compensations ranging from $24,000 to $422,000. The victims are set to receive the funds by May 17.
The lawsuit alleged that school authorities were aware of the misconduct but failed to appropriately address the numerous complaints lodged against Gregory and Archer. Gregory, who taught at John Ware for two decades from 1986 to 2006, was accused of sexually assaulting female students and physically mistreating male students in various settings, including the school premises, his rural property, and during unofficial outings.
Tragically, Gregory took his own life in 2021, shortly after being charged by Calgary police with 17 counts of sexual assault and sexual exploitation involving former students. Archer, who worked at the school in the 1990s, is accused of sexually and physically abusing male students at John Ware School.
Additionally, the 81-year-old Archer now faces fresh criminal charges for allegedly sexually assaulting former students at the junior high school. He had previously served a three-year prison term for similar offenses at a different educational institution. The lawsuit contended that Gregory and Archer colluded to enable each other’s abusive behavior and shielded one another from scrutiny by parents and colleagues.