In 2019, a class action lawsuit was brought against the Defendants: Grenville Christian College, The Incorporated Synod of the Diocese of Ontario, Donald Farnsworth and Betty Farnsworth for the Estate of Charles Farnsworth, Betty Farnsworth, Judy Hay for the Estate of J. Alastair Haig, and Mary Haig. What follows are the transcripts of the trial and the final court ruling.

Court Transcripts

• Volume 1: September 16, 17, 18
• Volume 2: September 19, 20, 23
• Volume 2: September 2019, Rosemary Barnes‡ testimony
• Volume 3: September 24, 25
• Volume 4: September 26, 27, 30
• Volume 5: October 1, 2
• Volume 6: October 3, 4
• Volume 7: October 7, 8
• Volume 8: October 9, 11
• Volume 9: October 15, 16, 17

‡ Rosemary Barnes is the psychologist retained by the Plaintiffs.

Court Ruling

The judge’s ruling was in favor of the five Plaintiffs and remainder the plaintiff class totaling 1,360 former Grenville boarding students.

• The Judge’s Ruling

A summary of the judge’s Analysis found that:

• “The evidence established a 24-year course of conduct which amounted to a marked departure from the educational standards of Ontario.”
• “Grenville knowingly created an abusive, authoritarian and rigid culture which exploited and controlled developing adolescents who were placed in its care.”
• “Without any accountability, either by reporting to a board or to written established policy, the headmasters were the absolute masters of the Grenville domain, indulging in acts of petty cruelty and doling out disproportionate physical and emotional pain to vulnerable or less-favored students.”
• “Grenville knew about the parental disapproval of these practices. Its practices did not change until Charles Farnsworth retired.”
• “The finding of systemic negligence is a finding that the defendants’ conduct deviated from established standards on a class-wide basis.”
• “Given the findings in this case I conclude that it is important to denounce conduct which can affect the health and emotional well-being of individuals throughout their life.”