CANADA
CBC News
By Jason Proctor, CBC News
A nun who ran a Burns Lake, B.C., Catholic elementary school where John Furlong taught more than 40 years ago says the former Olympics CEO was “always kind” to his students.
Sister Marie Melling testified Wednesday in B.C. Supreme Court, where Furlong is defending himself against a claim he defamed Laura Robinson, the journalist who wrote an article claiming he abused students at Immaculata school in 1969.
“He treated the children with respect,” Melling said. “He was always pleasant.”
Furlong arrived in B.C. as a teen
Melling was one of four defence witnesses called on Furlong’s behalf; among the others were his romantic partner and an RCMP officer who investigated an allegation of sexual abuse by a former student.
In the September 2012 Georgia Straight article, Robinson reported that eight people had signed affidavits claiming Furlong physically and verbally abused them while they attended the school.
She claims Furlong’s responses to her article caused her financial and emotional damage by implying she was unprofessional and motivated by a personal vendetta.
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