Two schools where former Vancouver Olympics CEO John Furlong taught 40 years ago are the subject of a national class action lawsuit to be filed alleging systemic abuse of First Nations youth at religious schools.
Twenty former students of Immaculata Elementary in Burns Lake and Prince George College have claimed they were abused – though none of the allegations involved Furlong, according to class action lawyer Joan Jack.
“The students who talked to me were hurt,” she said on Friday. “The mission was to kill the Indian in the child. It didn’t matter whether it was a residential school or a day school, that was the mandate.”
But Furlong, now the chair of the Vancouver Whitecaps, was not mentioned in those conversations.
“I’d never heard of the man before I watched the news last night,” said Jack.
Furlong categorically denied all allegations of physical and sexual abuse at a press conference Thursday. The Georgia Straight newspaper had published a story alleging Furlong had omitted his presence in Burns Lake from his autobiography, and had actually come to Canada in 1969, not 1974. The story had also contained allegations of physical abuse from eight former students.
Since that story, another student, Beverley Abraham, has said she went to the Burns Lake RCMP in June claiming to have been sexually touched by Furlong at Immaculata Elementary in 1969, when she was 12.
“I know when someone touches you in a private spot it’s wrong,” Abraham told CTV News. “I know when someone touches you in the breast it’s wrong.”
Abraham's allegations are uncorroborated and she is the only former student to make allegations of sexual abuse against Furlong.
Another former student, Ronnie Alec, told CTV News Furlong was rough with him when he was 14.
“We make mistakes, we end up getting slapped on the head, and sometimes kicked from behind,” Alec said.
But Alec said he never saw nor was aware of any of the sexual abuse by Furlong that was alleged by Abraham, and he is distancing himself from her story.
“We’re not going to get behind her, I’d like to tell her that,” he said, adding that he is interested in receiving an apology from Furlong about what he says allegedly happened to him.
The Lake Babine Indian Band has called for a full investigation. The RCMP have confirmed they are investigating allegations against Furlong. None of the abuse allegations against Furlong have been proven in court.