B.C. Judge Dismisses Last Abuse Claim against Former Olympics CEO

By Mark Hume
Globe and Mail
March 30, 2015

http://www.theglobeandmail.com/news/british-columbia/bc-judge-dismisses-sexual-abuse-lawsuit-against-former-olympics-ceo/article23699258/


During the nearly two years he has been facing sexual abuse allegations, John Furlong, the former CEO of the Vancouver Olympics, says he has battled depression, watched his family suffer humiliation and seen his once lucrative public speaking career ended.

But in a ruling on Monday, the Supreme Court of British Columbia tried to give him back some of his dignity when it threw out the last of several abuse claims made against him in a civil suit brought by three former students of aboriginal schools in northern B.C.

Justice Elliott Myers dismissed the claim of Daniel Morice after he failed to show up for what was supposed to be the start of a lengthy trial and the court heard abusive, obscenity-filled phone calls Mr. Morice made to defence counsel.

“Mr. Morice did not even attempt to prove his claim,” said Justice Myers, who awarded special costs to Mr. Furlong because of the “egregious, reprehensible conduct” of Mr. Morice.

“Obviously, I’m very pleased that today’s over,” Mr. Furlong said briefly outside court. “It was a very emotional day.”

He said he was going immediately to meet with his family and promised a detailed statement on Tuesday.

The dismissal marked the total collapse of a case that began in 2013, when Mr. Morice joined Grace West and Beverly Abraham in levelling allegations that Mr. Furlong had sexually abused them all when he was a physical education instructor at Immaculata Roman Catholic Elementary School in Burns Lake in 1969-70.

The three cases were to be heard jointly, but Ms. West’s claim was dismissed in February after court heard that school records showed she did not attend Immaculata. And in December, Ms. Abraham dropped her claim.

That left Mr. Morice, who was representing himself and who had been warned by the court that he had to attend on Monday.

He did not appear, and instead of hearing his allegations against Mr. Furlong, the court learned about Mr. Morice’s criminal record, which includes more than 50 convictions, including fraud, forgery and kidnapping, and heard recordings of him ranting over the phone at Claire Hunter, one of Mr. Furlong’s lawyers.

“I’ve got pictures of John Furlong raping a little girl,” Mr. Morice declared in one call. “I will put ‘em in front of the media and you guys will look like fools.”

He also claims to have witnesses to the alleged abuses, and warns Mr. Furlong will be beaten if he goes to Prince George.

William Smart, who is also representing Mr. Furlong, told court there are no witnesses and no photographs because the alleged assaults never took place.

“Let’s be clear about this. There are many First Nations people who have led really troubled lives. [Mr. Morice] may well be a victim of a lot of abuse in his life, but this time … it was Mr. Furlong who was the victim,” Mr. Smart said outside court.

He said the allegations have been a “severe bother emotionally and financially” to Mr. Furlong.

“I have been deeply depressed for months,” Mr. Furlong states in an affidavit.

“Aside from my family, there is nothing more important to me than in trying to clear my name.”

Mr. Furlong’s problems began after the Georgia Straight newspaper published a story in 2012 by freelance journalist Laura Robinson that claimed he verbally and physically abused First Nations students at Immaculata.

Mr. Furlong is pursuing a defamation suit against Ms. Robinson, who has counter-sued. A trial date has not yet been set.