John Furlong Absolved, but Reputation Will Take Time to Mend
By Matthew Robinson
John Furlong, absolved this week of wrongdoing in a defamation suit, can mend his reputation, but there will always be an asterisk beside his name, says a crisis management expert. B.C. Supreme Court Justice Catherine Wedge ruled Friday that Furlong, the former Vancouver Olympics CEO, did not defame journalist Laura Robinson, who had reported allegations he abused First Nations students in Northern B.C. While the decision wiped clear Furlong’s slate of legal battles, it will not erase the digital record of accusations and allegations that have damaged his reputation, said Ken Coach, a crisis management specialist. “Anyone can rebrand and bounce back,” Coach said in an interview. “It’s almost the old story of salvation. There’s a certain amount of appeal in that. Anyone can bounce back, but the difficulty nowadays is that it stays on Google forever.” Search “John Furlong” and results will include Robinson’s 2012 Georgia Straight article and news of the bitter fight it spurred. The article included sworn affidavits from eight former students who alleged Furlong beat and taunted them at a B.C. school in 1969 and 1970. The story set off a chain of legal actions that included Furlong suing Robinson, three people filing sexual abuse lawsuits against Furlong — which were all later dropped or dismissed — and Robinson launching a counter lawsuit, alleging he had damaged her reputation in public statements. Furlong denied the allegations in Robinson’s story and while he initially sued both her and the Georgia Straight for defamation, he dropped the suit in earlier this year, leaving the claims in the article untested. Coach watched coverage of the news conference Furlong held when he dropped his suit and said Furlong came off as angry. That was understandable given the personal nature of the fight, but members of the public now need to see a humble side of Furlong, Coach said. “I think it would serve him well to appear more human, and to appear gentler.” Were Furlong his client, he would advise him to do two key things to mend his public image. “One of the issues is to deal with a perception that will be out there in peoples’ minds that ‘He probably did it, they just couldn’t prove it.’ You need to deal with that perception in some way,” he said. Furlong still needs to account for why he omitted his time as a teacher in Burns Lake from his biographical 2011 book, Patriot Hearts, Coach said. “I don’t think that he’s given a good enough explanation of his time during that period. … I think a full framing of that part of the narrative would be necessary.” The next issue Furlong will need to tackle is the nature of hits that appear when his name is searched online. That takes “positive reportable action,” Coach said. “Perhaps he could get more involved in a charity or do some kind of newsworthy thing that would be seen as positive.” In her ruling, the judge found Robinson did not verify the stories of those who alleged abuse, or ensure they weren’t contaminating each others’ memories. She also found that none of Robinson’s sources came forward on their own. The journalist circulated a written notice in Burns Lake stating she was looking for people who were abused by Furlong. “Ms. Robinson’s publications concerning Mr. Furlong cannot be fairly characterized as the reporting of other persons’ allegations against him,” Wedge wrote. “Rather, the publications constitute an attack by Ms. Robinson on Mr. Furlong’s character, conduct and credibility.” The judge ruled that Furlong wasn’t motivated by malice and he was protected by qualified privilege, meaning he had a right to defend his reputation. Furlong said the ruling meant he could finally look toward the future and rebuild his career in Canadian sports. He thanked his friends, family and supporters for standing by him. “What happened to me should not happen to anyone. I’m relieved this nightmare is over and that my family, friends — and others in difficulty — can see in a matter such as this it is possible to prevail and survive,” he said in a statement. Robinson said she would have preferred a different result and will take time to review the decision with her lawyer before she considers her options. She said the three-year battle has taken a great toll on her physically, emotionally and financially, and thanked those “who had the courage” to tell her about their past. With a file from Laura Kane, Canadian Press Contact: mrobinson@vancouversun.com Click here to report a typo or visit vancouversun.com/typo. Is there more to this story? We'd like to hear from you about this or any other stories you think we should know about. CLICK HERE or go to vancouversun.com/moretothestory
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