The Roman Catholic Diocese of Prince George, B.C., says it hopes a $3.4 million settlement gives an alleged victim of sexual abuse by a school teacher 鈥渟ome degree of restitution for the harm that was so unjustly inflicted upon him by his abuser.鈥�
The settlement by the diocese and St. Thomas More Collegiate, a Catholic school in Burnaby, B.C., was announced in a statement released by lawyer Sandra Kovacs, who represented the anonymous man in the lawsuit.
Also named in the lawsuit was former teacher Alfred Patrick Quigley, who the anonymous plaintiff said sexually abused him in the 1990s.
Quigley taught at O鈥橤rady Catholic High School in Prince George and one of the alleged assaults was said to have occurred at St. Thomas More Collegiate.
The lawsuit accused Quigley of 鈥済rooming鈥� the plaintiff before sexually assaulting him in 1993 and 1994.
Quigley denied 鈥渆ach and every allegation鈥� in the lawsuit in his response filed in the court, but he didn鈥檛 participate in the case as it approached trial and he couldn鈥檛 be reached for comment through his former lawyer.
The allegations were not proven in court and Quigley, now 75 and believed to be living in Newfoundland, has not been charged criminally in B.C.
鈥淎lthough neither the Diocese nor the School were aware of the wrongdoing that occurred back in the 1990s, they have recognized and accepted the legal responsibility that arose vicariously due to the acts of its employee in these circumstances,鈥� a statement issued by the diocese on Tuesday said.
鈥淲e hope and pray that this resolution will allow (the plaintiff) to continue his process of healing and may this healing extend to all victims of abuse.鈥�
The lawsuit said Quigley was 鈥渦nusually friendly and attentive鈥� to the plaintiff, and took him to 鈥渟exually charged鈥� movies including 鈥淏asic Instinct鈥�.
The lawsuit also alleged Quigley took the plaintiff under his wing, gave him gifts, took him on overnight trips and taught him to play squash at a facility where they鈥檇 shower or go to a steam room nude together.
Quigley has been named in other lawsuits filed in B.C. Supreme Court in 2024 containing similar allegations that have yet to be heard or settled.
Kovacs said the settlement was reached just before the case was scheduled for a 23-day trial in B.C. Supreme Court in Vancouver, and though it offers her client financial restitution, the lawsuit was also about 鈥渁ccountability.鈥�
鈥淭his man operated as a teacher for decades,鈥� Kovacs said. 鈥淲hat we鈥檙e looking to do is hold the system accountable.鈥�
Kovacs said the bulk of her practice now involves working with institutional abuse survivors, and cases related to the Catholic Church involve a 鈥渃ulture of secrecy.鈥�
鈥淭hat culture of secrecy and the clericalism, this idea that priests and religious men are superior to the laity, that creates I think a systemic issue that enables this abuse to happen and continually happen,鈥� she said.
鈥淭hat鈥檚 a problem that needs to functionally be addressed at its foundation in the church, and that has yet to happen.鈥�
The diocese and O鈥橤rady High School had denied the grooming and sexual assault allegations in their response to the lawsuit, and also denied allegations of 鈥渟ystemic negligence鈥� and 鈥渨ilful blindness.鈥�
The plaintiff said in the statement that he鈥檚 continuing to recover from the trauma he endured, but is 鈥渘ow more hopeful than ever鈥� for other abuse survivors to speak out as they 鈥渏ourney toward healing and meaningful justice.鈥�
