Calls for sexual assault policy after St-Laurent High School coaches charged with sex crimes

Three Montreal basketball coaches at École secondaire Saint-Laurent were arrested and charged earlier this month with sex crimes involving at least two minors, dating back to 2008 and 2017 – experts say the incidents aren’t uncommon and things need to change.

“Most people will experience sexual assault before the age of 18, so we’re talking about our most vulnerable. We’re talking about very early experiences of trauma,” says Vicky Zois, intervention worker, Movement-Against Rape and Incest.

“A lot of abuse has gone on in coaching on all levels of sport, between all genders. We need to now create boundaries and safe places for athletes to play sports,” says Dr. Gordon Bloom, sports psychology professor, McGill University.

Groups like The Voice of Young People Counts have been calling for laws to be put in place to protect children where they frequent the most – school. And sexual assault and consent training should be mandatory for all school staff one expert says.

“Ensuring that you know there’s places that students can go to, that they can speak out about what’s going on, people that are trained and informed on what to look out for – what some of the signs are,” continued Zios.

Another saying there needs to be clearer boundaries and consequences, that these need to be clearly stated to athletes, to parents, to coaches, and sports’ administration.

“If you cross the line, there will be serious consequences, instead of tiptoeing around it because someone may or may not have had success,” explains Dr. Bloom.

“It’s also very important the sports environment takes responsibility in implementing policies and putting things forward that would help break down those barriers, which are stigma, taboos, consequences for personal consequences for the person coming out,” added Zios.

MORE: Three Montreal high school coaches facing sexual assault charges

Sports psychologist Dr. Bloom says athlete and coach relationships can be complex power dynamics.

“What’s different or more unique, or so in this case, is you’re talking about adolescent teenagers who don’t have the skills, the confidence, the knowledge, to be able to address and inappropriate action – they may know its wrong.”

“Any student, anyone any person has the right at any time to say no, whatever’s going on, but if they don’t because there’s a power dynamic that does not mean that they’re responsible for the abuse and that does not mean that the relationship was in anyway consensual,” says Zios.

Bloom adding that in some cases we haven’t as a society done a good enough job of addressing these issues. “It’s always athletes are afraid of addressing these issues. It’s always athletes are afraid to question a coach because there might be retribution for a spot on the team.”

Two of three high school coaches charged with sex offences related to École secondaire Saint-Laurent remain in jail pending bail hearings, after being charged with eight different counts Feb. 3. They did not enter pleas.

The coaches are: 43-year-old Daniel Lacasse, head of the school’s basketball program, 31-year-old Robert Luu, and 43-year-old Charles-Xavier Boislard.

MORE: https://montreal.citynews.ca/2022/02/02/three-montreal-high-school-coaches-arrested-for-sex-crimes/

Montreal police suspect more alleged victims may be out there among current or former students from 2005 to present day.

They urge anyone with believes they may have been victimized or has information, to come forward and contact investigators in the sexual assault division at 514-280-8502 or go to their local police station.

Anyone who wants to share information confidentially can do so through Info-Crime Montréal 514-393-1133 or via the online form infocrimemontreal.ca.

If you or someone you know has been a victim of sexual assault, call the Sexual Violence Helpline at 1-888-933-9007.