The Marguerite-Bourgeoys school service center is backtracking on what it announced and is giving up its own investigation into Saint-Laurent school, learned The Press.
Posted at 5:00 a.m.
In early February, three basketball coaches – one of whom was a school administrator and another a student supervisor – were arrested and later charged with sexual assault, sexual exploitation and incitement to contact. sexual.
Various articles in the media then brought to light the “omerta” that allegedly raged at Saint-Laurent school. Former players, parents and school staff have recounted unsuccessful attempts to raise the alarm over the years about the harmful climate in the basketball program and the bullying experienced by female players.
Faced with these allegations, the Marguerite-Bourgeoys school service center then published a press release to say that it was immediately mandating a firm of experts to shed light “on the work climate and these events related” in the media.
PHOTO HUGO-SÉBASTIEN AUBERT, LA PRESSE ARCHIVES
Offices of the Marguerite-Bourgeoys school service center in Montreal.
At the same time, Jean-François Roberge, Minister of Education, announced that the government was doing its own investigation.
If an external firm was indeed mandated by the Marguerite-Bourgeoys school service center, it finally backed down, at a time which was not specified.
“Considering that it has become impossible to hold two investigations simultaneously into the same situation, the Ministry of Education will take charge of this one. The ministry can count on our full cooperation,” replied Annie Bourassa, communications coordinator for the Marguerite-Bourgeoys school service center, by email.
In the office of Minister Jean-François Roberge, no comment was made, except to say that it was not at his request that the school service center dropped its intention to have its own investigation carried out by an external firm. .
Jean Bernatchez, professor at the University of Quebec at Rimouski and specialist in school management and governance, admits that one way or another, he had no hope in the investigation of the firm of experts. She could very well have done an honest job, “painting a very fair picture of the situation”, but the school service center could have kept her conclusions secret, even if access to information requests had been made. Faced with such requests, “public bodies are used to sending completely redacted reports,” observes Mr. Bernatchez.
In this case, the school service centre, which had itself retained the services of the private firm, “would have had every interest in not disclosing the whole truth”.
That being said, Mr. Bernatchez strongly doubts that the government is being more transparent in its own investigation. All in all, he believes that at least the decision that has been made will save taxpayers from paying for one more investigation.
Justice is following its course, moreover, with regard to the criminal charges brought against Daniel Lacasse, Robert Luu and Charles-Xavier Boislard.
Fearing that they have made other victims, the police issued a press release to invite anyone who may have been a victim or witness of criminal acts since 2005 to join their investigators.