CANADA
The Globe and Mail
ERIC ANDREW-GEE
The Globe and Mail
Published Friday, Oct. 07, 2016
The son of a former headmaster of an Ontario Christian school that was closed in 2007 amid accusations of abuse and cult-like practices has been charged with sexual assault for alleged offences dating back 30 years.
Robert Farnsworth, 49, was charged on Wednesday with sexual assault and gross indecency in connection with incidents between 1986 and 1987. The alleged victim was male and under 18 years old. Mr. Farnsworth appeared in a Brockville, Ont., court on Thursday and was granted bail.
He is the son of Charles Farnsworth, the late headmaster of Grenville Christian College, an elite private school near Brockville that was affiliated with the Community of Jesus, a controversial U.S. religious sect often described as a cult. Grenville closed in 2007 after 38 years in operation, citing declining enrolment and rising operating costs.
The closing coincided with a growing chorus of alumni accusing the school of chronic abuse and bizarre religious rites. A $225-million class action lawsuit filed in 2008 alleges former students were “sexually, physically, mentally, emotionally and spiritually traumatized” by their time at the school. The suit is ongoing.
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