Grenville Christian College

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Grenville Christian College is a former Canadian private school located in the rural community of Maitland, several kilometres east of Brockville, Ontario, on the bank of the St. Lawrence River.

Operated by members and clergy of the Anglican Church of Canada, the independent university preparatory school was composed of upper, middle, elementary and primary schools. Students had the option of being a day student, full time boarder or a weekday boarder.

- ==Controversy== - - There have been many claims of widespread student abuse and cult practices, which the Anglican Diocese of Ontario has not entirely dismissed^[1][2][3]. The church is on record for rejecting calls to investigate misconduct complaints against school officials^[4], however, the church is weighing the possibility of sanctioning an ordained minister who was headmaster for two decades.^[5][6][7] As of October 17, 2007, two former headmasters (who were also Anglican priests) are currently under criminal investigation by the Ontario Provincial Police.^[8] The chair of the school's Board of Directors and the Bishop of the Diocese of Ontario have publicly clarified that the school was never formally affiliated with the Anglican Church of Canada. Anglican priests and bishops, however, had officiated at the school's chapel services and the school flew the Anglican flag.^[9] Since the school's closing, alumni have come forward and told of punishments by silence and ostracism ("discipline"), a form of internal suspension; teachers searching their drawers and inspecting their undergarments; exorcisms.^[1] The school was associated with a religious community in Massachusetts, alleged to be a cult, known as the Community of Jesus.^[1] This community would send its rebellious children to the boarding school, where they, along with other students, would be subjected to a variety of practices that still evoke nightmares in alumnae decades later.^[10] According to media reports, staff children at Grenville Christian College were sometimes separated from their parents (who lived at the school) because administrators felt that that parents were prone to "idolatrize" them. These children would often live with other staff families at the school.^[1] The former co-publisher of a local newspaper, The Recorder & Times, has stated that his newspaper became aware of allegations of religious cult practices at Grenville Christian College in the late 1980s but was unable to convince student sources to publicize their names; the paper was also threatened with libel action by a Bay Street law firm.^[11] At least one former staff member at the school has apologized to students for their treatment^[12] and the chairman of the school's Board of Directors has formally apologized.^[13][14] A $1 billion lawsuit has been launched against the College, the Anglican Church of Canada, two priests, and the Community of Jesus, claiming abuse of students.^[15] - - == Footnotes ==

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