Haida residential school survivor alleges defamation from priest – CBC
Apr 22, 2024
Calgary court to decide whether proposed class action lawsuit by Elder Sphenia Jones will go ahead
A Haida elder and residential school survivor is leading a proposed class action lawsuit against the Catholic Church and one of its priests over what she alleges are “false and deeply hurtful” denialist comments.
Sphenia Jones is scheduled to appear in a Calgary courtroom on Monday after filing a statement of claim against Edmonton priest Marcin Mironiuk, the Catholic Archdiocese of Edmonton, and the Oblate Fathers of Assumption Province.
Jones is alleging that remarks Mironiuk made during a mass service in 2021 — in which he reportedly described the evidence of potential unmarked graves at residential schools as “lies” and “manipulation” — are defamatory against herself and other survivors who have spoken out about deaths at the institutions.
