Achi news desk-
A Calgary judge will decide in June whether to approve a proposed settlement for plaintiffs in a district court case who alleged the Calgary Stampede allowed a school staff member to sexually abuse young boys.
The agreement relates to the Phillip Heerema case.
Heerema received a 10-year prison sentence in 2018 after pleading guilty to charges including sexual assault, sexual exploitation, child pornography and luring.
Heerema admitted he used his job with the Young Canadians School of Performing Arts – which performs every year at the Calgary Stampede – to attract and cultivate a sexual relationship between 2005 and 2014, as well as in 1992.
The Stampede has agreed to pay $9.5 million in damages and Court of King’s Bench Justice Paul Jeffrey will decide whether the deal will be approved on June 28.
“This is not the end of the case, but we hope this is the beginning of the end,” the plaintiff’s lawyer Carsten Jensen told the court on Tuesday.
“We also hope that it is the beginning of a new future for the members of the class, many of whom have been seriously affected by Mr Heerema and the Stampede’s failure to protect them,” said Carsten.
Three of the plaintiffs were in the courtroom to watch the proceedings.
Jensen said if the deal is approved the $9.5 million will be held in trust and ultimately transferred to an independent claims adjuster with a “trauma-informed” background.
There are about 300 plaintiffs who could be eligible for some of the money.
Jensen said there are three categories of complainants: students who were abused; students who were not direct victims but were in The Young Canadians; and those who are not directly harmed but may have seen something.
Jensen said the majority of the settlement will go to about two dozen individuals who were more seriously affected by their experiences with Heerema.
“There will be a points system established based on the relative damage and the remaining money will be distributed to the members who have been most damaged in accordance with that points system,” he said.
Heerema, who was named in the class action, was granted a day’s parole in January and admitted during his hearing that there were other victims who did not come forward.
He was expected to return to Calgary.
This report by The Canadian Press was first
