The dignity of several student-athletes was compromised during their years spent at Saint-Laurent secondary school in Montreal, where three basketball coaches were arrested in the spring, concludes an investigation report commissioned by the Ministry of Education.
Daniel Lacasse, Robert Luu and Charles-Xavier Boislard were arrested last February by the police and charged with various crimes, including sexual assaults committed on minors.
Shortly after, the ministry launched this administrative investigation to find out what happened in this school.
He shared some of his findings, without going into too much detail. It is reported that there are “significant shortcomings in terms of supervision and controls related to the basketball program at Saint-Laurent school”.
A “particularly low” level of organizational trust was also found in this educational institution.
The purpose of the investigation was to establish a portrait of the situation and to determine the actions to be taken, if necessary. It was carried out at the same time as the investigation into the Fédération de basketball du Québec, launched under the Act respecting safety in sports.
Among the recommendations made are the following: improve controls on sports programs at Saint-Laurent high school, make bystander intervention training mandatory in schools and raise awareness of the bystander effect, as well as equip school service centers and sports federations to “change the culture of sports programs and prioritize respect for the dignity of athletes. »
The office of the Minister of Education, Jean-François Roberge, indicated that it could not reveal the complete report to the To have to “since it is still a situation that is the subject of a legal process”, although he agreed to reveal certain conclusions and recommendations “in the interest of transparency”.
The government also undertakes to follow up on the recommendations made in the report and to monitor their application in the network.
Criminal proceedings continue against the three coaches. The Service de police de la ville de Montréal (SPVM) has issued a public call for other potential victims to come forward.