In the 1980s, during my high school years, I was the victim of sexual assault by my school’s music teacher. Over thirty years later, I took the courageous step of reporting the abuse to the police, which ultimately led to my abuser being sentenced to prison. Driven by a desire to seek justice, I then spearheaded a year-long CBC investigation into sexual assaults perpetrated by three teachers at his high school over five decades. The investigation was featured on the CBC Ottawa Podcast, The Band Played On, which detailed the scope of these crimes.
I am a passionate advocate for men’s mental health and the long-lasting effects of trauma. I believe that society must better understand and address the impact of abuse, particularly in men. I have become a strong voice for both the recognition of men’s mental health and the prevention of childhood sexual abuse. Between 2019 and 2023, I was a regular presenter for the Violence Against Women course in the Women and Gender Studies Program at Wilfrid Laurier University, as well as for the Graduate Program in Victimology at Algonquin College.
In addition to my advocacy, I am co-founded Stop Educator-Child Exploitation (SECE). SECE is a grassroots organization of made up of childhood sexual abuse survivors at hte hands of their teachers and/or coaches. SECE is working to bring systemic change to the Canadian education system to better protect children from predators. As part of my ongoing commitment to protecting children, I have also volunteered with the Canadian Centre for Child Protection, where I served as a content provider and adviser for their Sexual Abuse Prevention online training program.
