CANADA
The Province
BY KEITH FRASER, THE PROVINCE FEBRUARY 17, 2015
VANCOUVER — Former Vancouver Olympic committee CEO John Furlong has succeeded in getting a lawsuit alleging he sexually abused a female elementary school student more 40 years ago thrown out of court.
In July 2013, Grace Jessie West filed a lawsuit in B.C. Supreme Court alleging Furlong was her physical education teacher and that he physically and sexually abused her while she attended Immaculata elementary school in Burns Lake in 1969 and 1970.
She also alleged that Furlong, who was a voluntary teacher at the Catholic school after moving to Canada from Ireland, had defamed her at a press conference in September 2012.
But in his response to the lawsuit, Furlong denied the allegations, saying he did not recall ever meeting West while he taught at the school. He claimed his comments at the press conference were true.
In court, Furlong argued West did not attend the school at the time in question and in fact had attended St. Joseph’s school in Smithers from 1966 to 1970.
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