A former student and hockey player at Athol Murray College of Notre-Dame in Wilcox, Saskatchewan, speaks out against the culture of startups during his time in the mid-1980s.
Todd Tisdale said he left Catholic college, located in Wilcox, south of Regina, traumatized after suffering physical, mental and sexual abuse from fellow students. The man, who now lives in Alberta, wants to help others who have suffered such abuse.
I just want to change people’s perspective on the culture of startups. It’s not some kind of integration experience. It was a horrible and traumatic experience.he said in an interview with CBC.
According to him, several former students contacted him after his story was made public in December.
Todd Tisdale came to Athol Murray College when he was 15 years old. Despite his dreams of becoming a hockey player, he said starts are everywhere. He said he was strangled and kicked unconscious.
” A lot has happened at this school that shouldn’t have happened. “
A native of Swift Current, Saskatchewan, recalls a particularly traumatic incident. He was forced to enter a room with other students. He explained that when he entered, another student in the room had his pants down and tied to his penis.
He said he was expelled from the College because management told him he left without permission to visit his girlfriend in Regina.
” I went through a lot of trauma between the ages of 16 and 24 or 25. I was a bit shocked and had a nervous breakdown at 24. “
He then left the province to live in Medicine Hat, Alberta.
The College has denied the allegations
In the 1990s, Todd Tisdale twice apologized from school management. He even filed a civil case dated 2018.
In this case, he accuses the negligence of the school staff, the lack of supervision of the students and the failure of the establishment to protect him. He is seeking financial compensation to be determined by a judge.
Since he was a minor, Athol-Murray College acted as tutor.
Athol-Murray College of Notre Dame has denied all of Mr. Tisdale’s allegations. The defense is required to prove the damages sustained and the damages described in the case. The College denies responsibility for the conduct of other students and wishes to dismiss the lawsuit.
Todd Tisdale filed a revised version of his lawsuit in April against a former student, then a minor, living in the same dorm as he did in 1986. This person must file a statement within the next 30 days.
In a statement on May 11 sent to the CBC, Notre Dame Athol-Murray College declined further comment because of this ongoing lawsuit, President Rob Palmarin wrote.
Change the culture
University of Manitoba professor of Kinesiology Jay Johnson said there is a long history of initiation culture in schools and athletic programs.
The professor, who has researched the culture of sport startups for many years, said the startups are full of tradition and often exist as a secret in schools.
We don’t often hear people talk about this culture in public because they feel they are alone.he explains.
Mr. Johnson said that since the 1980s, progress has been made to end this culture of startups, thanks to better awareness. Additionally, many schools and teams now have policies. However, many schools need to go beyond just adding a new paragraph to their code of conduct, he said.
In files from Kendall Latimer
Source: Radio-Canada
