The following is the information I currently have regarding Grollier Hall and Father Martin Houston, “the Devil of Grollier Hall.” I will hopefully be receiving further information and documents in the future. The picture below was found online. I would appreciate an explanation as to how the various residences were incorporated, ie. were the boys’ and girl’s residences different wings of the building? or, are there other buildings?
For simplicity’s sake I am presenting the information in point format. I will be adding links to further information on this page. Any further information on Father Houston would be most welcome.
(1) Grollier Hall, a residential school for Indian and Inuit children in Inuvik,North West Territories, opened in 1959 and was run by the Oblates until 1985. It closed in 1997. The school was situated beside Stringer Hall, a similar facility operated by the Anglican church. Each facility had a capacity for 250 children. As of 1970 the government of the NWT assumed control of Stringer Hall.
Grollier Hall was close to the “Igloo Church,” the most photographed building in Inuvik.
(2) Grollier Hall comprised several residences- there was a senior boys’ residence, a junior boys’ residence, a junior girls’ residence and a senior girls’ residence. The girls’ and junior boys residences were administered by the Grey Nuns, the boys by the Oblates. For a brief spell the junior boys residence was supervised by an Oblate Brother. There are no allegations of sex abuse related to that Brother.
(3) Father Max Ruyant omi, an Oblate priest, served as administrator of Grollier Hall for 25 years. He died 01 December 1995 in Edmonton, Alberta.
(4) There were a number of male “supervisors” for the boys residences. The supervisors, all laymen, basically acted as dorm fathers, ensuring the boys were up in the morning, did their chores and their homework and so on. The supervisors were hired by Father Ruyant
(5) An RCMP task force was struck to investigate Grollier Hall sex abuse allegation.
432 people were interviewed. Initially 29 victims came forward. Other came forward later. Some never came forward. I don’t at this time have the number of victims.
Four Grollier Hall supervisors were eventually charged and convicted of sexual abuse of young boys at the school: Jerzy George Maczynski, Jean Comeau, Paul Leroux and Martin Houston.
Houston stood trial twice for his Grollier Hall crimes, once in the early 60s, and again in 2004. The other three stood trial in 1997 and 1998 in what many refer to as the Grollier Hall trials. Each of these three accused was tried separately.
Not all supervisors molested the boys. Those who did molest frequently molested the same boys. I understand that there are number victims who were molested by more than one of the supervisors.
(6) Martin Houston worked at Grollier Hall from 1960-1962.
Houston was charged and convicted in 1962 for the sexual abuse of five boys at Grollier Hall.
I have been told that Houston was caught because, while taking one of the boys with him for a trip to Alexandria Falls he had checked into a hotel with the boy, and, following their departure, a “love note” Houston had penned to the boy was found in the room.
(7) Houston was sentenced to 10 years in jail. He was declared a dangerous offender. He served nine years.
(8) During his incarceration Houston decided he was called to the priesthood. I have been told that he convinced an elderly couple to finance him through the seminary.
(9) Houston was kicked out of both the Oblate Novitiate in Arnprior Ontario and Nicodemus House in Edmonton, Alberta after about three months because of behavioural issues.
(10) Houston completed his seminary at St. Joseph Seminary and Newman Theological College in Edmonton, Alberta.
Houston’s fellow seminarians did not know that he was a convicted child molester. One related to me in a recent phone call that during his seminary years Houston was “aggressive,” “defensive” and had quite a temper. Apparently it was not uncommon for Houston to erupt with “Why don’t you keep your F…n’ mouth shut?” The seminarians “avoided him like the plague.”
(11) In 19990 convicted molester and dangerous sex offender Martin Houston was ordained a priest by Bishop Antoine Hacault, Diocese of Saint Boniface Manitoba. Father Houston was incardinated in the Diocese of Saint Boniface.
According to one online source, Haucault sponsored Houston (to be a priest in his diocese) despite recommendations to the contrary from Catholic officials in Edmonton and in the North West Territories,
(12) After ordination Houston was first assigned to serve at Lac du Bonnet, Manitoba. Complaints from parishioners led to his transfer Carman, Manitoba in 1997. I don’t know the nature of the complaints.
Houston was transferred to Our Lady of Mount Carmel in Carman, Manitoba. That was 1997.
(13) The Grollier Hall trials ran through 1997 and 1998.
In March 1997 68-year-old Jerzy George Maczynskiwas sentenced to four years in jail. He entered a guilty plea to charges of indecent assault, gross indecency and buggery in the early 60s which were committed while employed at Grollier Hall (Macznski, who had been convicted twice for sex assault charges, was already serving a 16 years sentence in a BC court for sex offences committed in a BC residential school )
In February 1998 Jean Coumeau, then 64, was sentenced to one year in jail after pleading guilty to two counts of indecent assault.
In August 1998 58-year-old Paul Leroux was sentenced to 10 years in jail for sex offences committed at Grollier Hall between 1967 and 1979. The charges included gross indecency, indecent assault, attempt to commit indecent assault and attempted buggery. (Leroux had a prior 1979 conviction for sexual abuse of a boy in Inuvik. Of interest is the fact that, despite that conviction, in 1980 Leroux was hired by the Canadian Human Rights Commission in Vancouver. He served as regional director from 1988-1994. In 1990 he obtained a pardon. In 1994 became a freelance investigator contracting to the CRHC and B.C. Human Rights Commission. Also of interest is the fact Leroux, who was raised in Granby Quebec, claimed that he was sexually abused as a teenager when he was with the church choir )
I am told that tensions in the community were such at the Leroux trial that security was at an all time high. There were RCMP spotters on the roof of the courthouse, Leroux arrived wearing a bullet-proof vest. There were plainclothes RCMP officers in the crowd: they were armed.
(14) There were four suicides during the Grollier Hall trials. All were victims of Paul Leroux.
(15) It seems that Houston’s name re-surfaced during the Grollier Hall trials. And, it seems it was around this time that the Grollier Hall ‘boys’ learned that Houston was now a priest. They were upset and angry.
On hearing the news Harold Cook headed off to Winnipeg to speak to “Houston’s superior.” Harold, a Victim’s Advocate throughout the trials and now a Crown Witness Co-ordinator in the NWT, was molested by both Leroux and Comeau.
Harold does not recall the name of the priest he talked to, but he recalls the meeting vividly.
According to Harold, it was probably sometime in 1998 that he met the priest at the Elephant Castle in the Delta Hotel in Winnipeg. During that meeting the priest allegedly told Harold not to worry about Father Houston: there had been a miracle …Father Houston had been cured of his sexual problems.
On hearing news of such a miracle Harold says he told the priest: ‘if you have a pocketful of miracles why not apply it all sex offenders and then there won’t be any sexual abuse.’
According to Harold, at that the priest uttered an expletive, pushed himself from the table and was gone. Harold was left to foot the bill.
The timing of the “miracle” is unknown. Was it before Houston’s ordination? Had it just transpired? Harold doesn’t know.
(16) I believe it was after the Elephant Castle meeting that an official from the Saint Boniface diocese advised Grollier Hall victims that Martin Houston was going to apologize. A meeting was arranged by the Assembly of Manitoba Chiefs. Martin was a no show.
(17) As a result of the Grollier Hall trials, two more victims of Houston came forward and reported to police.
(18) In 2002 parishioners at Our Lady of Carmel in Carman, Manitoba learned for the first time that their parish priest was a convicted child molester. They were not amused.
Molester aside it seems that parishioners had been encountering troubles with their parish priest.
According to one undated account from the Edmonton Journal found online:
“The council told the Archbishop that Houston has struggled in his role as parish priest. ‘These struggles relate to emotional instability, aggressive outbursts, inappropriate speech contained in his sermons, and insulting remarks directed to a variety of parishioners both inside and outside the Church.’…. Many parishioners say it is clear that Houston is unable to perform his priestly duties and needs medical care. But they wonder whether he will get the help they say he needs given the silence from the diocese.”
The description of his character is eerily akin to that given to me recently by the priest who was in St. Joseph’s seminary at the same time as Houston.
(19) I’m not sure when the new Houston victims came forward, nor do I know when charges were laid. I do know that in 2004 Father Martin Houston was convicted – again.
Houston received a suspended sentence. The recollection by some familiar with the trial is that the court felt Houston had already paid for his crimes with his previous sentence, plus his designation as a dangerous offender was somehow deemed grounds for such leniency
Victims were understandably disappointed and upset.
(20) Houston used to get the boys out of the bed in the middle, tell them to strip and order them to run around naked in front of him.
As I mentioned elsewhere, Houston was known to tie string to a boy’s penis and pull on the string.
He sodomized some if not all of his victims.
He is known to the victims as: “The Devil of Grollier Hall.”
According to Harold Cook, Father Rayaund exhibited a “silent anger” toward boys who complained of sexual abuse.
(21) Asked if he ever told anyone about the abuse he suffered at the hands of Leroux and Comeay Harold replied that, yes, as a child he told Father Ruyant and one of the nuns. According to Harold he was told: ‘no, people of God don’t do this.’ Harold felt he had no choice but to let it go. Years later Harold almost whispers: “the shame was so great I didn’t want to tell anyone. "
“’On a dead man’s door you can knock forever.’ That’s the way the Church has been toward us” That’s what Harold told me.
(22) 25 August 2010: Father Martin Houston, twice convicted molester and dangerous sex offender, died.
30 August 2010: funeral Mass for Father Martin Houston at St. Boniface Cathedral, St. Boniface Manitoba, Archbishop Albert Legatt presiding.
Good Day, my name is David Cook and I was in Grollier Hall at the time these abuses had taken place. I was not aware that they were taking place and it was not till years later that I noticed that these same abused individuals were always around the “abuser”; Paul Leroux. The one thing that I wanted to mention, is that some of us were not abused. I was one of the TEST skiers and we were treated differently than the other boys; we ate seperatley in a room attached tot he main cafteria. Our day started at 6 am, we would go for a run to the hospiatl, back to the hostel and into the gym for morning exercises. Go to school till 4 pm and then go skiing till 5 pm. We would have supper and then do our studies afterwards. Then around 7:30 we would go the Canadian Forces gym and do more exercises, and than back to the hostel and play more sports and then to bed. Next, day start all over. As a skier, we would travel for months at a time and we had to do our school work as well, and therefroe had school assignments for two/three months at a time. We learned from the school books. My comments are those of a person not abused and a cross country skier who raced for the community I came from – Fort Good Hope and I raced for the NWT and for Canada. Thank you for your time and have a nice day.
That’s good for us all to remember David. There is an old saying coined in Cornwall, Ontario “A thief doesn’t strike every house in the block.” It’s very true. Not every child in a molester’s path was/is molested. And, in that same vein, obviously not everyone at the Grollier Hall was molested. I am sure that once you heard about what had been going you must have considered yourself to be very fortunate.
Congratulations on your cross country ski endeavours. Sounds like your days were busy!
they took my common law away with suicide, and I still deal with it throughout the years, I often wonder how this will affect our son
I still feel cheated
Margo, I am so terribly sorry. Such pain. I know it is easy for me to say, but you must try to be strong for your son. Help him to be a man who would make his father proud.
Was your husband a victim of Houston Margo?
I sealed the sexual abuse that haunted me for 48-49 years. Sexually assault as they call today back in 62 it was known as rape. It was blocked in the back of my mind and finally in August 2008 I finally released that information during my counselling sessions. I became isolated and a loner and my parents passed on without ever knowing what happened to me while in the hands of John/Jean Comeau. I started drinking at age 13 and in 1989 contimplated suicide. More information can be provided to anyone who is willing to listen. I was picked up on June 8, 1990 by the Lord Jesus Christ. He lead through these trials by carrying me and I am so thankful to Him. People we can be set free from all that pain when you decide to make that step toward a healing journey.
Welcome home Paul ! Keep on keeping on the new path. God Bless !
Its a beautiful journey when I can actually see in front of me and not covered by a mask…
*Today, I don’t mind letting my information be known… Now that I have been walking free of shame and bitterness since August 2008. I never really knew I was a troublesome person until I had a ceremony with my counsellor during a conselling session where I released that child in me and began waliking free without shame, bitterness or guilt. I have learned to forgive and in that process the fear and anger also was let go. Spiritually that child was always wanting to be released and I didn’t know that until that ceremony. I thank the Lord for carrying me throughout my life and still carries me today… I never forget those that left us without really talking about their pain…
My mother was a survivor of residential school that lived a painful life she left us in 2002 at the age of 50, I was 17 and never knew what anguish she lived through in that school, I hadn’t even known such evil existed, but years later I came to realize that the way she was was because she was hurting, it wasn’t because she wanted to be angry towards us or lack showing affection and love she just simply did not know how. I feel very cheated that she had to go through this, but worst that she never explained to us (her children) what she had gone through so it was just like she was an angry women for no reason and now we all have to live on with that legacy, trying not to be the abusers to our children. The worst thing I think of is that if I only knew I could have tried to help her through the pains in her life instead of being angry towards her for drinking and dragging us through bullshit, I feel like I’ve been stripped of a mother who had so much love for us but was blocked in her own body. That eventually killed her, shame on residnetial schools!!!
Thanks for sharing that with us anonymous. Your blog is a reminder to victims that others, including your children, so often do want to help, and would do so if they only knew about the abuse.
You remind me a little of a blogger who calls himself JG. Right JG? I think you probably understand exactly what anonymous is saying?
I walked into the main door of Grollier Hall at the age of 15 during the fall of of 1979 and I clearly remember …..being quite intimidated , knowing and hearing about all the horror stories regarding this institution. However as I continued walking down to the senior boy’s residence and being introduced to the place…..the song ” Let The Good time’s Roll ” was blaring through the speakers in the dormatory. I was introduced to some of the students and will never forget their friendliness and hospitality. Over the following year I made such great friends from all over the NWT …Paulatuk, Aklavik, Fort Good Hope, Fort MacPherson,Fort Norman, Sachs Harbour. I will also never forget the guidance and professional supervision of our supervisor’s during my 2 year stay at Grollier Hall,….Gordie and Louie Savoie….and especially Ralph Bertrum. I am forever grateful for my time in Grollier Hall and made a lifetime of friends and truly believe that only a very small percentage of students who stayed at Grollier Hall were preyed/ victimized by previous employees of this government/ church contracted institution which is most unfortunate. I grew up in a home which was way more strict and confining than the residential school I resided during my grade 11 and 12 years in Inuvik and consider those years to be some of the best times of my life….I only wish it was this way for everyone else!!
I remember walking into Grollier Hall in the fall of 1979,I was told by my friends who were there a year before, about the abuse that went on there,I believe that that was the year Paul left.My friends warned us about the place,this was common for new students who were there for the first time.I was very furtunate to have respecting supervisors like Gordie , Louis Savoie and Ralph Bertrum.I to am very grateful for there guidence and did a good job ,Now The supervisors were always there give a helping hand.But all in all I learned how to be independant.
Thankfully indeed you are one of the lucky ones Francis. And yes, there are many who, like you, have fond memories of their times in a residential school. “A thief doesn’t strike every house in the block” and so, while it is fact that they were many who were abused, there were many others who were spared such fate.
I am curious Francis. Were there actually horror stories about Grollier Hall circulating throughout the North back in 1979? What were they? What had you heard of Grolloer Hall that made you afraid?
*Both of my parents have gone to residential school. They both were molested as well. They even went to the same schools. Its so hard having parents that are going through the healing process. Its like if you dont’s understand what your parents are goin through you’d never know how to try and help. Like the more you ask they just get even madder at you. But my mom and dad finally was able to speak of what they went through. I think its important for teens to know that, the schooling systems nowaday, we are so lucky we didnt have to go to these places. My heart goes out to all the people who’ve passed on while at this school, who’ve all been molested, Like they say the healing continues.
Anonymously, your parents are very fortunate to have a son or daughter like you who wants to and tries to understand. Keep loving them. They need your love.
Sylvia , your comments about how the experiences of many were good and only a small percent had real problems angers me, based on the history of the offenders sing a matter of record before they were placed in a position of primary care of minors , I believe that the government is 100% culpable for their actions! Would you consider placing Josef mengle in charge of the bc children’s hospital? And say “well only a small percentage of children. Had an adverse experience” ? I do not believe that we have laws capable of meeting justice for the the subject of your forum. I hope you understand that the victims of this need to see posts like mine to affirm their emotional reactions! IT WAS NOT OK ! IT WAS REAL! Perhaps when an entire community expresses their founded opinion the RCMP Should.not be so quick to protect sexual predators , sometimes people should get what they deserve,
Kaboom, my comments were in response to those of Francis Anderson who, as I said in my response, was one of the lucky ones. The truth is that not every single child in residence at Grollier Hall was molested, any more than a predatory priest molests every single child with whom he has contact, or any more than every priest in the Roman Catholic Church is a sexual predator. In saying those things I am in no way shape or form minimizing the magnitude of the sex abuse scandal in the Church or in Grollier Hall, or the damage done to every child who is sexually abused.
Francis Anderson said believes that only a small percentage of students who stayed at Grollier Hall were molested. Even if that is fact I personally thinkthat was justa poor choice of words on Francis’ part. I personally believe that one child abused in Grollier Hall is one too many, just as one predatory priest anywhere is one too many, and one child abused by a priest is one too many. From what Francis has to say in the rest of his post I think he would agree.
We in Carman still bear the scars of Houston’s horrid character. Many left because of his presence here and never returned. But that does not compare to what his victims endured. Ok this is what we were told: We were told that MH had been fondling a 17 yr old when he was 18 and he spent a year in jail. Seriously? His probation office had no idea what the archdiocese had done with him…..He was so friggin’ weird and not of God but of some other sphere. Thank God CBC and other news media broke the news of his record so our children did not have to endure any more of his rants from the pulpit. One example was on Scouting sunday when he described in graphic detail what an abortion is. They are just kids! 7 years olds! Never will we forget him shouting at us on Sundays and telling us “he is in the priest, he is in charge, don’t believe lies from the outside about him” …… and this is before we knew the truth…. How did Hacault even think of this jerk being a priest? He now resides in a true hell and his victims we can only hope have some consolation of peace. Too bad as the RC faith is a beautiful thing……we get idiots like MH as “shepherds”….. ok we took away his crook and sent him scurrying from our town. After Carman he was done. Our love and compassion goes out to those who suffered at his hands. From the moment he set foot here, we knew something was wrong……….
I would like to correct Abby Marie and her comment concerning the RC faith being beautiful if she only new about the history of the Roman Catholic Church I think she would sing a different tune. My advice is that she read about Pope Innocent III and the Inquisition after she reads the history I would like to know what she thinks.
I myself was born and raised a Roman Catholic and also spent time inside an Indian Residential School in Beauval at the time Paul Laroux was a boys’ supervisor we used to call him ” The pervert ” behind his back.
Yes, Victor you are very right about how people have used religion (thanks for pointing out the history, you only touched on a few things, there is so much more) but that does not mean we cannot believe or love what is good. I know the history of the what people did in the “name” of the church. But that is not faith. The church is the people who follow Christ’s great teachings of course, not the priests nor the abusers. But the people have allowed it to happen over the centuries in many horrible ways. How many times have children told someone and they end up being victimized again?
This lying, conniving horrible man who was consecrated (don’t think that is a valid one) as a priest, I cannot believe that the Archbishop was in his right mind when he did that. Just the first impression of MH makes you want to run away. Creepy, large, imposing and vacant eyes. That is strange because some (I stress some) perverts are pretty smooth and congenial. We were majorly peeved (polite way to put it) to find out who he was after three years. Thankfully we have the internet (and Sylvia) to google the guys we know.
On another note: I knew Fr Charles Griggs from the Anglican Church in Wpg. He was really friendly and loving and it was a shocker that he was a monster to kids. But he was. I guess we just cannot trust anyone with our children. The warning signs were there but no one saw it and I was but a very young child. By the way, the scandal basically bankrupt that Diocese.
http://www.mommyish.com/2011/10/31/defrocked-our-beloved-priest-was-actually-a-pedophile-393/
I am so sorry that you had to deal with Laroux “the pervert” … I did not know him. But I did know two others and there are many more out there. They use and abuse institutions to satisfy their immense need to dominate and control.
I am so sorry for that which I am only learning of now. I was one of the air force brats that resided in Inuvik from about 1973 to 1976. It took me a year to be not be so shy and scared but ultimately I enjoyed my stay and the many friends I had made there. I remember (I was about 16) a very young girl named Vera being comfortable enough with me that she used to hold on to my Eskimo parka while I pulled her round the skating rink.
Francis and Glen….you guys got there when you were older…I got there in grade 2 and paul laroux loved us a bit too much if you get my drift…he didnt leave our class alone till we got old enough to defend ourselves just enough to cause a stir by putting a broom or a mop on the doors to lock him out….he Loved our small bodies not any of the older ones. I am very glad and happy to know you have fond memories to the school but I can tell you from first hand (not a pun) experience that paul is an animal and needs to die for what he did to all of us…and when we told the RCMP back then what happened they laughed at us and said we were being punished for whatever we did and laughed and drove away….I was 7 and no higher than a doorknob in 1973 they failed me and everyone else that was abused….[deleted by Sylvia]
I have found a bunch of used but otherwise empty envelopes addressed to and from Grollier Hall in the period 1964 to 1967. I believe they were saved for the postage stamps on them. Does anyone know a “Virgilio Viglione” who may have been an adult there (teacher? parent-helper?). I hope he was not one of the bad ones. I see a reference to “R.G. Mission” too – what did that stand for? Can anyone help me?
Concerned: I do not recall the name Virgilio Viglione identified as “one of the bad ones”. If you are in Inuvik, check with Lawrence Norbert. He founded the Grollier Hall Residential Healing Circle and has a vast knowledge base regarding the issues at Grollier Hall. If not able to locate him in Inuvik, he will be in Tsiighetchic (Arctic Red). No idea what R.G. stands for … maybe just a poor typist who was trying for R.C. Maybe doing the envelopes was an exercise in a typing class.
Thanks NorthernFancy. The thought that it was supposed to be RC did cross my mind but it was repeated on 20+ envelopes so I wondered… anyway this is not anything important compared to the the main issues discussed here, of course. It’s too bad the letters are all missing – might have been able to shed some light on life there in the 1960s.
Someone asked about a “Virgilio”, well he was one of the cooks at Grollier Hall and was up early to get the breakfst ready, cooking for all the kids that were there. Also, there was another cook, named “Alberto” not sure of the last name.
Thanks, David.
My mother was one of the people that Martin Houston convinced to give him money to attend the seminary. A lot of money. He was a smooth talker, probably a sociopath. Her story was covered by Ed Struzik, a journalist at the Edmonton Journal several years ago. His actions were very destructive to our family.
After over 30 years, i am still struggling with PTSD and depression from the abuse i received in Grollier Hall. It is an awful feeling when you experience flash backs and relive the touch, taste, sound, and smell it. Therapy doesn’t work nor do the drugs, religion is taboo for me so most times i feel like there is nothing i can turn to. The one thing that i do have and fight to keep is my soul, it is strong and bright, the within is my hope!
I work as a supervisor for 2 year after those awful thing happen, what caught me the most was the need for those kids to be treated for what they are and been respect for what they are, human . Just a note, I learn more about what happen at grollier from the people on the street then the staff and the administration, it was a well kept secret.
I did not attend grollier hall as I was from Inuvik. However I was sexually assaulted by a resident of grollier hall who was 6 years my senior. I buried it deep for many years for fear of repercussions. 4 years after the sexual assault I was physically assaulted by another male resident who ended up cutting my face.
The abuse at grollier hall was not contained to the residents, the abuse spilled out into the community
I lived in Inuvik in the 1970s. My brothers had friends who lived at Grollier Hall. Although I did not know Paul Leroux – never met him I heard many stories from my brothers. Zip forward 25 years and many of these horrible stories came out in the trials. My sister’s former boyfriend also a Leroux victim commit suicide before his turn to testify. Very sad. I believe that the sexual assaultswere well-known in Inuvik in the 1970s. Reportedly Leroux offered alcohol and showed porn films he brought from Spain. No one will be likely to admit it now but he was outwardly very popular at Grollier Hall at that time. The high school counsellor Dave Button also assaulted numerous teenage boys and was finally convicted and imprisoned recently.
Grollier Hall horrors – so tragic
Sylvia, you have done a wonderful job of documenting these crimes with context.
I am a Harvard extension school student who is writing in First Nations dilemma.
Tazeenhasan@gmail.com
Sorry by mistake the name appearing is not me.
I worked in Grollier Hall from August 1990 till March 1991 as a student advisor. I even wrote a chapter of my book about it and my experience in it weren’t very pleasant.
What is the title of your book William?
You were at Grollier well after Houston, but, I am curious: was there any talk of him while you were there?
Where us your book a available, William?
I was a non residential student in Inuvik in the late 1960’s, and most of the kids in my class were in Grolier Hall. (I remember a friend getting permission to have me visit and she showed me around the girls’ residences.)
I also remember one day in grade 5 my mother asked my brother and me whether the music teacher had ever taken us into the cloakroom. She told us he had been fired because he had been doing “bad things” to the students in the cloakroom. We didn’t know what she meant so she had to explain he was sexually abusing children. So, some of those children in Grolier Hall were not even safe at school.
We had another teacher who was physically abusive to the boys in my class. It upset me and I told my mother about it. We also had some good teachers. My favourite was Sister Bielka, who was very compassionate to all the kids.