Another comes forward

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The Sudbury Star

23 September 2010

By STAR STAFF

A Sudbury man who alleges he was sexually abused by a former teacher and principal at St. Charles College said Wednesday he is pleased another alleged victim has come forward.

“I’m glad somebody else has come forward,” Ted Holland said of charges laid Wednesday in Toronto against William Hodgson Marshall

Ma r s h a l l was charged with sexually assaulting a former student at Toronto’s St. Michael ‘ s College School in 1953, the Toronto Star reported.Marsha l l , now 88 and battling cancer, was charged, fingerprinted and released by Toronto police.

Accompanied by a fellow priest, Marshall later returned to the Basilian retirement home in Toronto. He has a Nov. 3 court appearance, the Toronto newspaper reported.

A teacher and championship- winning basketball coach, Marshall faces two counts of indecent assault. It is alleged that in the fall of 1953 when he was coaching an after-school basketball program at St. Mike’s, the priest asked the student to come into a private room, where the boy was assaulted.

Toronto police believe there may be more victims.

In Windsor, Marshall faces one count of sexual assault and five counts of indecent assault involving six victims. The charges relate to incidents in the 1950s and the 1980s.

None of the allegations in Windsor or Toronto have been proven in court.

In Sudbury, Holland said Marshall sexually abused him in 1969 on three occasions. Holland said he went to police to complain about the abuse in 1998, but was told then nothing could be done.

Holland said he went Sudbury police again with his complaint in August, but nothing came of his allegation.

He said he has been in contact with Windsor police, but was advised he should turn to Sudbury police.

Over the years, Holland said he has grown increasingly frustrated with the lack of police action in Sudbury.

“All I know is I have been digging up information,” but no one seems to do anything about it. “I went to St. Charles College two weeks before school started. His (Marshall’s) picture is still hanging there. I was mad as hell.”

Holland said he would like to meet with the alleged victim in Toronto. “Definitely. Oh yes, definitely.”

Holland also said two other students who also attended St. Charles College went to Sudbury police, but didn’t get anywhere. He said the police officer who spoke to the men accused them of filing their complaint for financial gain and for colluding with one another.

“I don’t care what he says. We are not colluding. What happened is the truth and that’s the way it is.”

In August, Holland told The Sudbury Star that when the Basilian Fathers found out about the abuse in 1998, he received a call from Rev. Bill Irwin. On Dec. 18, 1998, Irwin flew to Sudbury and paid a lunch-hour visit to Holland.

“He came to the door and out of his briefcase, he pulled out a folder,” Holland told The Sudbury Star in August. “The first thing I saw was a cheque for $21,000.”

“I said: ‘Father, I don’t ask for any money,'” Holland said. “He said: ‘It’s for counselling and it’s a nice Christmas present.’

“I said: ‘All I wanted was a written or a verbal apology.’ He said: ‘You will not get one.'”

Holland did not take the cheque for about a year. After seeking legal advice, Holland agreed to a settlement of $30,000.

He said he was forced to sign an agreement to not pursue them in court. Holland said he signed it under duress.

Holland said he thinks the money from the Basilians was to keep him quiet.

“In my opinion that $30,000 settlement was to buy my silence, not necessarily for counselling, but to buy my silence,” he told The Sudbury Star.

Rev. Thomas Rosica, spokesperson for the Basilians, said this was “absolutely not” the case.

Marshall taught at St. Charles College in Sudbury from 1967 to 1969, then served as principal in 1973-74 and returned in 1980.

He was also principal at St. Mary’s College in Sault Ste. Marie between 1980 and 1985. He then went to Windsor, where he taught at Holy Names High School. Marshall taught in Windsor until at least 1989. In 1993, he retired from the school system and moved to St. Lucia to carry out missionary work.

According to The Houston Chronicle, Marshall also taught math and coached basketball at a high school in Houston, Tex., in the 1956-57 school year.

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