The settlement of a class action lawsuit was approved by the Nunavut Court of Justice for people who were subjected to sexual abuse while attending Nunavut schools in Resolute Bay or Clyde River between April 1, 1969 and July 30, 1981 and who were sexually abused by teacher Maurice Cloughley. Sexual abuse includes:
• Sexually assaulted by Cloughley;
• Forced to touch Cloughley in a sexual manner;
• Forced to touch other children in a sexual manner;
• Forced to have their picture taken while nude; or
• Some combination of these forms of sexual exploitation.
The Court has approved the following: The Territory will pay $8,000,000.00 to establish a settlement fund to compensate class members, pay class counsel’s legal fees and disbursements, and pay for the administration of the settlement. The Court has approved Class Counsel fees of $2,000,000.00, plus tax, disbursements in the amount of $95,014.17, plus tax, and $15,000.00 honoraria for each of the Representative Plaintiffs.
The settlement funds will be divided between class members on the basis of their injuries, up to a possible maximum $200,000.00 on any class member’s claim.
Following a Settlement Approval Hearing which was held on June 4, 2024 seeking approval of the settlement, the Judge has now approved the settlement in an Order/Decision dated April 1, 2025.
Class Members will need to complete and submit a Claim Form to RicePoint, the Claims Administrator, on or before November 1, 2025.
As the settlement has been approved by the Court, class members must go through this process to obtain compensation. Those who do not claim now will not be permitted to sue the Territory for sexual abuse by Cloughley they experienced while attending a school. If you are eligible for compensation, your legal rights will be affected even if you do nothing.
The Notice explains your rights and options and how to exercise them.
To learn more about this settlement, please review the Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
Claims Deadline - November 1, 2025