Class Action Against François Lamarre (Hockey Coach)
We are very pleased to announce that on December 10, 2024, a judgment (attached is the unofficial English translation of the original French version of the judgment) was rendered by the Superior Court of Québec approving the settlement of the class action brought against the City of Longueuil and the late François Lamarre on behalf of all persons who, over the course of decades and up to and including December 31, 2001, were sexually assaulted by him while he was a hockey coach with various teams of the minor hockey leagues of the City of Greenfield Park, as well as the estate of such persons if they died after September 1, 2017.
On December 17, 2024, Notices to members were published in various newspapers
Victims of the late François Lamarre whose claims are accepted will be eligible to receive substantial compensation which will vary according to the severity of the damages suffered, and which could reach several hundred thousand dollars.
Under the terms of the Settlement Agreement, the Defendants will pay a total amount ranging from $3,600,000 to $10,250,000, depending on the number of Members whose claims are accepted by the Court-appointed Adjudicator.
The Settlement Agreement also provides that neither the Defendants nor their lawyers will have any right to challenge, review or intervene in the claims process, and that only the Adjudicator and our firm as Class counsel will know the identity of the Members submitting a claim.
We are extremely pleased with the judgment, which provides that the settlement “offers Members a high level of individual compensation, in the upper range of out-of-court settlements in similar matters. It varies according to the severity of the damages suffered, regardless of the number of claims deemed eligible (...) following a simple, efficient, respectful and strictly confidential adjudication process” [unofficial translation].
We are very pleased to announce the settlement of the class action filed on behalf of all persons who were sexually assaulted by the late François Lamarre while he was a coach of the municipal hockey program in Greenfield Park, until and including December 31, 2001, as well as the estate of any such persons if they passed away after September 1, 2017.
The Defendants will pay a Global Settlement Fund in an amount ranging from $3.6 million to $10.25 million, based on the number of claims deemed eligible by an adjudicator. If more than 56 claims are deemed eligible, the settlement may be renegotiated or otherwise cancelled, to ensure that the benefits payable to members whose claims are deemed eligible are not unduly reduced.
The settlement, which is subject to the approval of the Superior Court of Québec, will permit eligible members to receive substantial compensation following a completely confidential claims process that excludes the Defendants from any involvement or right of contestation.
You can consult the following documents to learn more about the settlement, and why we are strongly recommending that the Court approve it:
- Transaction et Quittance (Official French version of Settlement Agreement)
- Unofficial English translation of the “Transaction et Quittance”
- Notice to Members
- Demande d'approbation de la transaction et des honoraires des avocats de la classe (Official French version)
- Unofficial English translation of “Demande d'approbation de la transaction et des honoraires des avocats de la classe”
The trial in the class action filed on behalf of all persons who were sexually abused by the late François Lamarre while he was a coach of the municipal hockey program in Greenfield Park (as well as the estate of any such persons if they passed away after September 1, 2017) was scheduled to take place from September 2024 to November 2024. It has been postponed due to ongoing discussions between the parties.
All class members are encouraged to contact our attorneys so that we can inform you of your rights.
Your communications with our firm are free, strictly confidential, and are covered by professional secrecy.
The Kugler Wechsler attorneys handling this case are:
Pierre Boivin
pboivin@kwlegal.ca
514-360-8881
Emily Painter
epainter@kwlegal.ca
514-360-3462
We will continue to update this page as the case progresses.