Teacher charged with sex crimes

Kenneth Mealey arrived at a Selkirk courtroom, charged with five counts of sexual assault and five counts of indecent assault.

He was the former assistant headmaster at St. John's Cathedral Boys School just outside of Selkirk.

Richard Olschewski is representing some of the victims in a civil matter.

He says "these things are painful memories. I certainly can't get into the details but suffice to say that our clients have suffered greatly."

Students at the private boys school were in grades eight to 12.

Police say Mealey seemed to target the younger ones.

Sergeant Steve Saunders of the RCMP says "the investigation concentrated in the grades eight and nine level, so that's roughly 13 or 14 years old."

CBC News talked with a former student at the school.

He said the administration knew about the sexual assaults, but wanted to keep them quiet.

Mealey taught during the 1982-83 school year, then he was let go.

Saunders says "the allegations surfaced in 1983 while he was still the assistant head master and he was fired at that time and that's how it was dealt with internally."

The school closed in 1990 because of declining enrollment.

This isn't the first allegation of abuse. In 1989 a guest lecturer was accused of abusing students but charges were dismissed.

Mealey now lives in North Bay. He's been released, but with conditions. He's not allowed to leave Canada, communicate with any victims or have any contact with any male under the age of 16.