Police not told about Calgary teacher’s prior abuse

An investigation by Alberta’s teaching association into conduct by a teacher who allegedly sexually abused junior high students for years concluded in 2006 that he had “mentally and physically abused his students,” but it didn’t pass that information on to police.

Three former students launched a $40-million lawsuit this week that alleges Michael Gregory, once a teacher at John Ware Junior High in Calgary, groomed and sexually abused potentially hundreds of children.

“The plaintiffs contend that from the period of at least 1989 to 2005, Michael Gregory … sexually assaulted literally over 200 students,” said Jonathan Denis, a lawyer representing the group in a suit filed by Guardian Law Group LLP, at a news conference Monday.

In 2006, an investigation carried out by the Alberta Teachers’ Association, the provincial professional body, finished with Gregory pleading guilty to failing to “treat students with dignity and respect” between 1992 and 2005.

He also pleaded guilty to failing to “maintain the honour and dignity of the profession,” according to a copy of the disciplinary decision from the association, which was obtained by the Star.

Gregory was found by the association’s professional conduct committee to have “mentally and physically abused his students” as well as “coerced and manipulated students for his own benefit,” according to the documents.

The new lawsuit alleges that Gregory was grooming and sexually abusing students as well. The plaintiffs in the lawsuit say school officials didn’t act when Gregory’s behaviour was brought to their attention and that he paraded his misconduct openly around the school.

Experts have said the case underscores the need for an independent body to deal with these types of misconduct allegations brought against teachers.

Information about Gregory from the Alberta Teachers’ Association investigation in 2006 was not passed on to the Calgary Police Service, a spokesperson for the police said. The first complaint came to the Calgary police in 2020.

In early 2021, Gregory died on Quadra Island in British Columbia in an apparent suicide just days after he was charged with 17 counts of sex-related offences involving six former students.

Since then, Calgary police say that 35 witnesses have come forward with information, as well as an additional 10 victims.