The Calgary Board of Education (CBE) has settled a class action lawsuit related to the actions of two former teachers accused of molesting several students between 1988 and 2004.
The announcement was made in a written statement on Wednesday afternoon.
The CBE says the agreement includes a payout of $15,770,000 to the plaintifs, subject to court approval.
It also includes a statement that says “the CBE is sorry for the harm experienced by the class members and the impact of that harm on them.”
It further states that “the CBE commends the strength and courage of the class members who came forward to share their experiences and to participate in the court process.”
The two former employees have been identified in court documents as teachers Fred Henry Archer and Michael Gregory.
Story continues below advertisement
Archer, who worked as a guidance counsellor at several Calgary-area schools, including John Ware School in the 1990s, now lives in High River.
He was charged earlier this year with the historical sexual assault of two students after previously serving a three-year sentence for molesting three male students.
Fred Henry Archer is a former guidance counsellor at several Calgary area schools, He previously served a three year sentence for sexually abusing students and earlier this year was charged with the historical sexual assault of two more students.
Provided to Global News
Gregory was a former physical and outdoor education teacher at John Ware school, but he died by suicide in February 2021 on Vancouver Island, just days after being criminally charged.
Get breaking National news
For news impacting Canada and around the world, sign up for breaking news alerts delivered directly to you when they happen.
At the time he was facing 17 sex-related charges for the alleged abuse of six students.
The class-action lawsuit was launched by three students, identified only by their initials, who attended John Ware School, located in the southwest Calgary community of Pump Hill, between 1988 and 2004.
Story continues below advertisement
It alleged that “school personnel, including administrators, knew that Gregory and Archer were using their in-school relationships with students to take advantage of opportunities to abuse those students outside of school hours or property.”
One of the accused teachers, Michael Gregory, was a former physical and outdoor education teacher at John Ware School who died by suicide just days after being charged with 17 sex-related charges for the alleged abuse of six former students.
Provided to Global News
In addition to the money, the CBE says “the settlement includes an opportunity for class representatives to collaborate with the board regarding existing policies and training.”
It concludes by saying “the CBE remains committed to practices and policies that enable students to learn in safe, caring, and supportive environments,” and it looks forward to the successful conclusion of the court action.
Sorry, this visualization could not be loaded…
© 2025 Global News, a division of Corus Entertainment Inc.
