Allegations about coaches’ abuse rock prestigious school
Report reveals claims of bullying by SMUS staff in Victoria, including Steve Nash’s former mentor
Accusations of bullying and abuse have been laid against teachers and coaches at Victoria’s St. Michaels University School, sparking a debate about when coaching criticism crosses the line.
A report by the Toronto Star and CTV on Saturday outlined complaints from 13 former student athletes at SMUS — the same school and program that produced NBA star Steve Nash — dating back to 2011.
According to the Star and CTV, the student athletes allege that coaches on both boys and girls teams would berate and demean them in public, using profanity and racial epithets, leaving them with lasting trauma that one sports psychologist has equated to post-traumatic stress disorder.
The allegations, while never made public, were investigated by both the school and provincial regulatory boards, the Star and CTV reported.
Both boards dismissed the complaints, saying because they were made in the context of competitive athletics, they did not contravene any code of conduct.
Nash has long called Ian Hyde-Lay, one of the coaches accused of abuse, one of the best coaches he’s ever played for.
Now in his 31st season coaching and teaching at SMUS, Hyde-Lay was also voted by Province readers as the Coach of the Year in last season’s Head of the Class, an annual awards section honouring B.C.’s top high school players and coaches.
“If a teacher is calling a student a f---ing p---y and a faggot, I think that’s grounds for firing,” Montgomery Fraser-Brown, one of the students who have come forward with claims of abuse, said in an interview with the Toronto Star’s Robert Cribb.
“Emotionally … I was completely distraught. I was having panic attacks; I felt as though I was worthless, not only as an athlete, but as a person. I felt ashamed — I really did.
“It’s a time when coaches can’t get away with this any more. This is not acceptable behaviour. And kids need to be protected and play the sport that they love.”
The Star said Fraser-Brown is being treated by psychologist Dr. Alan Goldberg, who says he is suffering from PTSD. Goldberg said the trauma can last for years.
The Star also interviewed Colton Stockus, another SMUS grad who said he is still troubled by his experience playing for the Blue Jags. He said that he and the others who levelled accusations against the coaches felt demonized and persecuted after they came forward.
“When I play basketball today … I’m still affected when I play,” he told the Star. “I still hear coaches; voices in my head, berating me, calling me names, saying I’m not good enough.
“It’s not always the easiest path to tell the truth, but it’s the right one. You have to let the truth have its day.”
Neither the school nor Hyde-Lay, who will accompany the SMUS rugby team on a European tour this week, has yet to publicly comment on the report.
“I haven’t seen the article or the program, so I can’t comment on it,” Hyde-Lay told Province reporter Howard Tsumura on Saturday.
Ian Hyde-Lay coached the Blue Jags to victory in the 2A B.C. basketball championship game Saturday. See page 55 for the full story.