Former student suing Acadia Divinity College over alleged sexual abuse

A former student at the Acadia Divinity College in Wolfville is suing the school and the faculty of theology at Acadia University.

Basia Sowinski of Valent Legal in Halifax filed the lawsuit in Nova Scotia Supreme Court on Dec. 21 on behalf of the woman, who attended the Annapolis Valley school in the late 1980s and early 1990s.

The lawsuit alleges that while the student was at the school, she was going to counselling sessions with one of her professors on campus and during those sessions the professor sexually assaulted her on multiple occasions.

The woman alleges that the incidents of abuse continued until the left the university.

The lawsuit states that the college is vicariously liable for the alleged sexual assaults by the professor, and that it was negligent for failing to protect the woman from the assaults on its campus.

The professor died 11 years ago. Sowinski said Wednesday afternoon that no criminal complaint was ever made against him.

She said that doesn’t cause issues for their case.

“Our lawsuit is a civil one against the college for their role in this,” she said. “We’ve pled in the lawsuit negligence in a general failure to protect their student…, a breach of fiduciary duty allegation is in there, and more important the vicarious liability argument, which is very common in these historic cases.”

She said she expected that her client’s “credible testimony will support that.”

Sowinski said that the papers have not been served on the college yet.

A spokesperson for Acadia didn’t return a message seeking comment.

Sowinski said she’s not aware of other students who experienced abuse “that we can say with any certainty.”

She said the woman didn’t file any complaints at the time,

No preliminary dates have been set and the allegations have not been proven in court.