Editor says Furlong conducted ‘PR blitz’
Georgia Straight’s Smith defends freelance writer over allegations of abuse against former VANOC CEO
The editor of the Georgia Straight on Friday accused Vancouver Olympic CEO John Furlong of engaging in a “sustained public relations blitz” against his newspaper after it published allegations Furlong had physically abused his former students more than 40 years ago.
Charlie Smith made the comment while testifying at the trial at which freelance journalist Laura Robinson is suing Furlong for defamation arising from his response to her article on the allegations for the weekly.
After the article was published in September 2012, Furlong sued the paper and Robinson for defamation, claiming that he’d been falsely accused and alleging Robinson was unethical and incompetent.
In October 2013, Furlong held a press conference at which he announced a police investigation into an allegation of sexual abuse against him, which was not reported by the Straight, had been concluded and no charges had been laid.
He said that given the finding of “innocence” by the RCMP, he was discontinuing his legal action against the Straight but escalating his action against Robinson.
Under questioning from Bryan Baynham, Robinson’s lawyer, Smith said that he was “flabbergasted” at the way he received the news the suit had been dropped — through reports on television news.
“Why wouldn’t you inform someone after what you’d put them through, that you were filing a notice of discontinuance? I thought it was discourteous.”
Smith told B.C. Supreme Court Justice Catherine Wedge that he “always thought” that Furlong’s actions were part of a public relations narrative.
“The First Nations people and their voices were just marginalized by this sustained PR initiative. It was all about this one woman who had problems with male authority figures in sport.”
Smith told the judge that a lot of media reports mistakenly said that the Georgia Straight had reported allegations of sexual abuse against Furlong.
Court has heard the sexual abuse allegation was reported on by Robinson in a First Nations newspaper in Ontario that has not been sued.
Furlong has alleged that Robinson did not do her due diligence as a reporter, but Smith defended her actions Friday.
“Laura Robinson does not play gotcha journalism, like some people do in this country. She doesn’t blindside people. She is a very honest reporter. I admire her for that.”
He said that when he was contacted by Robinson in April 2012 and told she’d uncovered the physical abuse allegations, he was intrigued by the story but felt they needed to get sworn affidavits.
Furlong has denied the physical and sexual abuse allegations.