CANADA
CBC News
Former Vancouver Olympic head John Furlong has once again denied allegations he abused students at a Catholic school in northern British Columbia four decades ago, as part of two legal replies filed in B.C. Supreme Court today.
The replies, which were filed by Furlong’s lawyers, are the latest chapter in an increasingly complicated legal battle stemming from a story published by the Georgia Straight newspaper and journalist Laura Robinson in September of last year.
In the story, Robinson alleged that during Furlong’s time as a teacher in Burns Lake in 1969 and 1970 that he abused several First Nations students at the Catholic day school.
Furlong emphatically denied the allegations and two months later filed a lawsuit against Robinson and the weekly Vancouver newspaper seeking damages, as well as an apology and retraction.
The Georgia Straight filed a response to Furlong’s civil claim saying the story was not defamatory and amounted to fair comment.
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