“No one helped us”: Survivors from Robert Land Academy speak out against abuse and demand stronger legislative measures to protect private school students in Ontario 

QUEEN’S PARK – Former staff and students of Robert Land Academy, joined by NDP MPP Chandra Pasma, are calling on Premier Ford and Minister Calandra to take immediate action to strengthen protections for students in Ontario’s private schools. 

“The harrowing stories shared by these survivors indicate a real and urgent need for stronger legislative measures to ensure students are safe. It is indefensible that, to this day, private schools in Ontario don’t require teachers to undergo criminal record checks or be held accountable in any meaningful way,” said Chandra Pasma. “The abuse endured by the students at Robert Land Academy represents a colossal failure and it can’t be repeated. The Ford government has the opportunity to act now and ensure that no child ever endures such abuse or mistreatment again.”  

The survivors are calling for criminal record checks to be conducted for teachers at private schools, for all teachers be required to register with the Ontario College of Teachers, for health and safety investigations to be regularly conducted at schools, and for an Ombudsman to be appointed to investigate complaints from private school students and their families.  

“Robert Land Academy forcibly confined boys in their Niagara facility for 48 years. They routinely physically assaulted us, but worse, they completely severed our connection to the outside world, and when we ran away, the Niagara regional police returned us. Only today at our insistence, have the NRPS opened a criminal investigation,” said Jarett Holmes, former student of Robert Land Academy. “There are 109 known early deaths of our alumni, many of whom we have been unable to track. The median age of death is 35. Nearly half of us, to suicide and overdose. We urge the government and the public to stand with us and right this wrong.” 

BACKGROUND:

• Robert Land Academy was a private military-style boarding school located in West Lincoln, Ontario Canada. It has now closed its doors, citing financial loss and bankruptcy as the prime reason. 
• There are several ongoing lawsuits against Robert Land Academy for physical and emotional abuse. The school has denied all allegations. 
• Ontario is one of the few provinces that does not require criminal record checks from teachers teaching at private schools, nor are private school teachers required to be registered under the Ontario College of Teachers.  

ADDITIONAL QUOTES

“The care of children is never something that should be left to chance, and unless there is a fundamental change to the way private schools are run in Canada, stories like this will continue to happen. Every life lost is one life too many. Enough is enough.”  

Andrew English, Former Student of Robert Land Academy. 

“During my time at RLA I personally witnessed the relentless emotional, psychological and physical abuse of these young boys by grown men in positions of power. I feel that my primary duty was to protect these boys and I failed. The Government of Ontario, as well as multiple other provincial organizations, has historically failed to protect them as well. As a teacher, I believe that every child in the Province of Ontario deserves the same level of protection, regardless of whether they are in a public or private school setting.”

Jon Krys, Former Staff Sergeant at Robert Land Academy.