On March 1 The Current reported that Renfrew County District School Board (RCDSB) has been named as a defendant in a civil court proceeding started last month by three former students. The law suit claims damages of $10 million for childhood sexual abuse they allege they suffered at the hands of former teacher and principal Clarke Anderson while attending Fairview Public School in Pembroke.
RCDSB has responded with a public statement saying the Board is “… is reviewing a statement of claim seeking damages related to sexual assaults that occurred in the early 1970s. A former employee was charged and convicted for these assaults in 1998. Our District unequivocally condemns any form of abuse toward students by those who we entrust with their care. At this time we are not in a position to comment on specific questions regarding the lawsuit or any of the events at issue.”
Some readers questioned the identity of the school as there appears to be no record of it. RCDSB told The Current that Fairview Public School offered Grades 1 through 6 and was located on Hwy. 41 in Pembroke. The school was closed in 1978-79.
