Victims of abusive teacher file lawsuit

The governments of the Northwest Territories and Nunavut are facing another lawsuit involving a former teacher and principal.

Maurice Cloughley, a convicted sex offender, worked for almost 30 years in about eight communities in the former Northwest Territories and northern Manitoba.

They include Deline and Rae Lakes, Grise Fiord, Arctic Bay, Clyde River and Resolute Bay.

Cloughley is now almost 70 years old and on full parole. He was charged after hundreds of photos and slides of naked children were seized from his home.

Not long after his trial began, Cloughley pleaded guilty and was convicted on nine counts of sexual assault and given a 10-year sentence.

Now 15 complainants have decided to sue the governments of the Northwest Territories and Nunavut for failing to protect them from Cloughley.

"We've been retained by victims of Mr. Cloughley who formerly lived in Grise Fiord and Clyde River to commence civil action seeking compensation for the abuse they suffered as children," says Newfoundland lawyer Geoffrey Budden.

Budden represented victims of another teacher and convicted sex offender, Edward Horne.

The N.W.T. and Nunavut governments paid out $21.5 million in damages in that case last year.

• FROM DEC. 20, 2003 : Government accepts guilt, pays Horne's victims