Grenville Christian College

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Grenville Christian College
GCC Jun03 A.jpg
Location
Brockville, Ontario, Maitland, Ontario, Canada
Information
Religious affiliation Anglican
School type Co-ed Private Boarding/Day
Language English
Campus rural Ontario setting
Founded 1918
Enrollment 0
Homepage www.grenvillecc.ca/

Grenville Christian College is a former Canadian private school located in the rural community of Maitland, several kilometres east of Brockville, Ontario, on the bank of the St. Lawrence River.

Operated by members and clergy of the Anglican Church of Canada, the independent university preparatory school was composed of upper, middle, elementary and primary schools. Students had the option of being a day student, full time boarder or a weekday boarder.

Contents

[edit] History

The campus was built in 1918 as St. Mary's College, a preparatory school run by the Redemptorist Order of the Roman Catholic Church. St. Mary's College operated until 1968.[1]

The St. Mary's College campus was purchased in 1969 by a group called Berean Christian Schools who envisioned using the facility for training missionaries. Although the exact timeline is unclear, Berean Christian Schools began as a private school in 1970 and was renamed Grenville Christian College in 1973, drawing its staff from a religious community called the "Community of the Good Shepherd." This religious community, also known as the Community of Jesus, founded by two women who called themselves Mother Cay Andersen and Mother Judy Sorenson,[2] reportedly held sway over hiring of all employees until a former public school principal was hired as headmaster in June 2002.[3] According to,[2] the founding Mothers Cay and Judy were allegedly "two overweight boozing housewives who hid their drinking, their harridan brawling and their lesbian affair from all but a few obeisant servants."

After 37 years, Grenville Christian College announced its closure, citing declining enrollment and unspecified financial pressures on July 30, 2007.[4] A "Closing Celebration Weekend" was held on the weekend of September 29-30, 2007.[5]

[edit] Controversy

There have been many claims of widespread student abuse and cult practices, which the Anglican Diocese of Ontario has not dismissed.[6][7][8] The church is on record for rejecting calls to investigate misconduct complaints against school officials,[9] however, the church is weighing the possibility of sanctioning an ordained minister who was headmaster for two decades.[10][11][12] As of October 17, 2007, two former headmasters (who were also Anglican priests) were under criminal investigation by the Ontario Provincial Police.[13] The chair of the school's Board of Directors and the Bishop of the Diocese of Ontario have publicly clarified that the school was never formally affiliated with the Anglican Church of Canada. Anglican priests and bishops, however, had officiated at the school's chapel services and the school flew the Anglican flag.[14] Since the school's closing, alumni have come forward and told of punishments by silence and ostracism ("discipline"), a form of internal suspension; teachers searching their drawers and inspecting their undergarments; exorcisms.[6] The school was associated with a religious community in Massachusetts, alleged to be a cult, known as the Community of Jesus.[6] This community would send its rebellious children to the boarding school, where they, along with other students, would be subjected to a variety of practices that still evoke nightmares in alumnae decades later.[15] According to media reports, staff children at Grenville Christian College were sometimes separated from their parents (who lived at the school) because administrators felt that that parents were prone to "idolatrize" them. These children would often live with other staff families at the school.[6] The former co-publisher of a local newspaper, The Recorder & Times, has stated that his newspaper became aware of allegations of religious cult practices at Grenville Christian College in the late 1980s but was unable to convince student sources to publicize their names; the paper was also threatened with libel action by a Bay Street law firm.[16]

At least one former administration staff at the school has apologized to students for their treatment, saying “What was done to people at GCC was very wrong,” Ms. Childs wrote. "I was very wrong. And I am so sorry for all the hurt that was caused to each of you by me and by all of us in positions of leadership.” According to a Globe and Mail article: "the school was almost literally two communities, with one group – overseas students and the sons and daughters of wealthy Ontario families – not knowing what was happening to the other group – children with behaviour problems ... and the children of staff." The staff children were treated the most harshly.[17] The chairman of the school's Board of Directors formally apologized.[18][19] In 2007, a lawsuit was launched against the College, the Anglican Church of Canada, two priests and their wives, claiming abuse of students.[20][21] A second lawsuit was filed in January 2008.[22]

On September 3, 2007 the Globe and Mail published a letter to the editor from a former GCC student, Bruce Mackinnon (entitled "The Kind of School It Was"). He wrote: "I object in the strongest terms about your depiction of Grenville Christian College. In every kind of school, mistakes are made. I can assure you, the vast majority of the staff were kind, with only the best interests of the kids at heart. None of the kids expected rigid rules of conduct, but that was the kind of school it was, it was needed. I am one of the many kids who went through there and came out better for it and will be ever grateful to the staff and God. I hold no ill will toward the staff members who treated me harshly. Everyone learns in life as they go, none of us are perfect."

Another letter to the editor of the Globe and Mail appeared in the Globe and Mail on September 3, 2007 from former student Jesse D. Billett, Research Fellow, University of Cambridge wrote: "My family could not afford private schooling, but I was granted a full scholarship at Grenville. On graduating, I could reject offers from the University of Toronto and Queen's University in favour of Harvard. The staff had human failings, but their selfless dedication changed my life".[23]

New York musician Michael Phelan, the son of a former Grenville headmaster and a former student at the school, talked with the OPP at length about his treatment by school staff. Mr. Phelan said: "I understand that it's notoriously difficult to prosecute child abuse cases. But at the same time, it doesn't mean that these things didn't really happen. It doesn't mean that I wasn't abused, that many students weren't abused. And I don't regret coming forward. I hope nobody does."[24]

In November 2008, the Ontario Provincial Police announced that there will be no charges laid involving the historical abuse allegations, following an investigation. "The OPP, in consultation with the Crown attorney, have decided not to lay any criminal charges in relation to the extensive investigation," the OPP said in a statement. "It wasn't in the interest of the public to lay any charges," said OPP Sgt. Kristine Rae in an interview with The Recorder and Times. "When you're looking at historical allegations, you're looking at the whole picture."[25]

[edit] Footnotes

  1. ^ St. Mary's College alumni. "History of St. Mary's College". http://www.smcr.ca/History.html. Retrieved 2007-09-07. 
  2. ^ a b The Globe and Mail (October 2007). "Mothers of invention.". http://www.theglobeandmail.com/servlet/story/RTGAM.20071005.wjesuschurch0610/BNStory/National/. Retrieved 2007-10-15. 
  3. ^ The Prescott Journal (April 2005). "GCC begins search for new headmaster.". http://www.prescottjournal.com/2005_archives/04-06-05.html. Retrieved 2007-09-07. 
  4. ^ Grenville Christian College (July 2007). "Grenville Christian College to Close.". http://www.grenvillecc.ca/news/media.asp. Retrieved 2007-09-01. 
  5. ^ Grenville Christian College (August 2007). "Alumni Events : Closing Celebration Weekend September 29-30th, 2007.". http://www.grenvillecc.ca/alumni/events.asp. Retrieved 2007-09-04. 
  6. ^ a b c d Globe & Mail (August 2007). "Dark past behind school's demise.". http://www.theglobeandmail.com/servlet/story/RTGAM.20070831.wschool31/BNStory/National/. Retrieved 2007-08-31. 
  7. ^ Ottawa Citizen (September 2007). "Anglican school's former students tell of brainwashing, abuse.". http://www.canada.com/ottawacitizen/news/city/story.html?id=6b11ac61-95de-40ea-9f68-968b919cb94d&k=86481. Retrieved 2007-09-09. 
  8. ^ The Recorder & Times (September 2007). "A tale of two GCC students: Strict discipline had different impact.". http://newsfeed.recorder.ca/cgi-bin/LiveIQue.acgi$rec=23638. Retrieved 2007-09-08. 
  9. ^ Globe & Mail (September 2007). "Anglican bishop rejects ex-student's plea to investigate abuse claims.". http://www.theglobeandmail.com/servlet/story/LAC.20070906.GRENVILLE06/TPStory/TPNational/Ontario. Retrieved 2007-09-06. 
  10. ^ Globe & Mail (September 2007). "Anglicans weigh sanctions against priest.". http://www.theglobeandmail.com/servlet/story/RTGAM.20070907.wgrenville07/BNStory/National/home. Retrieved 2007-09-07. 
  11. ^ The Recorder & Times (September 2007). "Local bishop to meet with former students.". http://newsfeed.recorder.ca/cgi-bin/LiveIQue.acgi$rec=23627. Retrieved 2007-09-08. 
  12. ^ The Recorder & Times (September 2007). "Farnsworth reaching out to ex-students 'Whatever happened on my watch, I just have to take responsibility.'". http://newsfeed.recorder.ca/cgi-bin/LiveIQue.acgi$rec=23626. Retrieved 2007-09-08. 
  13. ^ The Globe and Mail (September 2007). "OPP open investigation into Grenville abuse claims.". http://www.theglobeandmail.com/servlet/Page/document/v5/content/subscribe?user_URL=http://www.theglobeandmail.com%2Fservlet%2Fstory%2FRTGAM.20070927.wgrenville27%2FBNStory%2FNational%2F&ord=73878&brand=theglobeandmail&force_login=true. Retrieved 2007-09-27. 
  14. ^ Anglican Journal (September 2007). "Church denies that closed, controversial school was Anglican.". http://www.anglicanjournal.com/nc/100/article/church-denies-that-closed-controversial-school-was-anglican/. Retrieved 2007-09-06. 
  15. ^ Globe & Mail (September 2007). "Born into abusive grip of a cult.". http://www.theglobeandmail.com/servlet/story/LAC.20070904.GRENVILLE04/TPStory/?query=grenville. Retrieved 2007-09-04. 
  16. ^ Globe & Mail (September 2007). "Brockville's local paper was advised not to publish abuse allegations.". http://www.theglobeandmail.com/servlet/story/RTGAM.20070901.grenville-side01/BNStory/National. Retrieved 2007-09-01. 
  17. ^ Globe & Mail (September 2007). "Apology for 'hurt and pain' at private school.". http://www.theglobeandmail.com/servlet/story/RTGAM.20070901.grenville01/BNStory/National/home. Retrieved 2007-09-01. 
  18. ^ The Recorder & Times (September 2007). "GCC answering abuse allegations.". http://newsfeed.recorder.ca/cgi-bin/LiveIQue.acgi$rec=23597. Retrieved 2007-09-06. 
  19. ^ CBC (September 2007). "Grenville Christian College chair apologizes for abuse.". http://www.cbc.ca/canada/ottawa/story/2007/09/07/ot-grenville-070907.html. Retrieved 2007-09-07. 
  20. ^ The Globe & Mail (November 2007). "Former students suing Grenville.". http://www.theglobeandmail.com/servlet/story/LAC.20071106.GRENVILLE06/TPStory/National. Retrieved 2007-11-06. 
  21. ^ http://www.cohenhighley.com/gccstatementofclaim.pdf
  22. ^ Ottawa Citizen (January 17, 2008). Former Grenville Christian College students launch $200M class-action suit. Accessed 2010-01-25.
  23. ^ http://www.theglobeandmail.com/servlet/Page/document/v5/content/subscribe?user_URL=http://www.theglobeandmail.com%2Fservlet%2Fstory%2FLAC.20070903.COLETTS03-10%2FTPStory%2FTPComment%2F%3Fpage%3Drss%26id%3DGAM.20070903.COLETTS03-10&ord=22117294&brand=theglobeandmail&force_login=true
  24. ^ http://www.bishop-accountability.org/news2008/11_12/2008_11_22_Valpy_PoliceDecline.htm
  25. ^ Ottawa Citizen (November 25, 2008). No charges in Grenville Christian College investigation, OPP says. Accessed 2010-01-25.

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