Former RWB Student Files Class-Action Lawsuit Against Former Instructor

CBC.ca reports that a former Royal Winnipeg Ballet student, Sarah Doucet, is filling a class-action lawsuit against former instructor Bruce Monk. Monk is accused of taking nude photos of Doucet, as well as other students, and selling them online. The suit is seeking $50 million in damages.

Margaret Waddell, Doucet's lawyer, says Doucet was around the age of 16 when she asked Monk to take photos for her portfolio. Monk, who was known at the school for taking students' head shots, agreed and took multiple photos of her dancing in one of the studios, after which they moved to an office to take Doucet's head shots.

Waddell alleges Monk asked Doucet to move the straps of her top because they were interfering with the photo. "Then he asked her to pull it down further and that's the point where it became very uncomfortable for her. But he insisted and eventually ended up with the unitard down around her waist and he took a series of photographs of her naked from the waist up," Waddell said.

In 2015, several students went to the police and accused Monk of taking nude or semi-nude photos of them, which he was also accused of selling online. The accusations were investigate by police, though no charges were laid. The Royal Winnipeg Ballet also investigated and, in April of 2015, fired Monk.

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Photo: rwb.org