Coach and teacher Brian Meyer’s arrest for various sex crimes sent shock waves through the Lanatier area. So far, four alleged victims have come forward in Terrebonne, Mascouche and Laval, and police expect to identify more in the coming days.
What is there to know?
Brian Meyer, 52, is a sports coach and high school teacher who has coached “multiple sports teams” in the Lanaudière region. He especially taught at the school L’Odyssée-des-Jeunes in Laval.
Terrebonne police arrested him on Tuesday. 11 charges including sexual assault have been registered against him.
The alleged facts would have occurred “between 2006 and the present,” which is approximately 17 years.
Four alleged victims have come forward to the police so far.
In the world of sports, the announcement of Brian Meyer’s arrest has had a bombshell effect since Tuesday. “When I found out, it knocked me off my feet. He’s always been involved in minor hockey. He coached pee-wee teams when he was very young. He’s a guy we used to see in the arena a lot, and he was a baseball umpire,” says a coach who has worked with him several times in the past. .
On Tuesday, 11 counts of sexual assault, sexual interference, solicitation of sexual contact, voyeurism and criminal harassment were brought against Brian Mayer. All of his alleged victims were minors.
“We had strict rules to guide the teams. No one can be alone with the youth in the locker room. I never saw any signals and if I had, obviously I would have asked questions,” adds the source, who wishes to remain anonymous for fear of professional reprisals.
Coach Mr. Meyer remembers regularly organizing “video sessions” at his home with the players, aimed at training. At the time, no red flags were raised or reported. In the community of Terrebonne and Lanaudière, “it’s total consternation,” the coach adds.
He was supposed to umpire a baseball game Tuesday night, but the game was stopped because the umpire was arrested. You don’t see that often, let’s say.
A coach who has rubbed shoulders with Brian Meyer on several occasions in the past
“I never would have guessed that,” says a former referee in the Lanatier area who has worked with Mr. Mayer rubbed shoulders with him when he was the head baseball umpire. “He was a warm, friendly person when you met him […] It’s sad. It’s scary,” said the person, who remains anonymous for fear of retribution.
Another source who knew the accused in his youth when he was a volunteer in minor hockey in the late 1990s, said Mr. Mayer notes that he was “very involved and very comfortable with some of the kids whose parents were very busy, especially in lifts.” . “If we had heard about the misconduct, we would have acted”, the person assured.
Excluded from March 31
At the Laval School Service Center, Assistant Director of the Secretariat Anne Goet confirms that Brian Mayer was relieved of his duties at the L’Odyssée-des-Jeunes school “as soon as the facts became known.” So almost two months ago. “We found elements of the investigation that we need to continue to work on. That’s why he was arrested [mardi] Eventually, but the investigation started a while ago,” says Terrebonne Police Public Affairs Capt. Vincent Charbonneau.
The alleged facts would have occurred from 2006 till date, which is a period of about 17 years.
With all his work relationships, his involvement in school and sports, and the way he acts, others are expected to be affected. He used his position of authority to approach youths and then commit acts of a sexual nature.
Vincent Charbonneau, Terrebonne police captain of public affairs
He also says Terrebonne police have received “a lot of messages and questions” from parents of students and former students since announcing his arrest on Tuesday. So others may come in the coming days. “School service centers have also set up crisis cells. We will see what comes out of it,” recalled the captain, who assured that the police force would update the file “as soon as possible”.
“Omarta and impunity must end”
“It’s sad that we have to wait decades to hear about these stories,” says Youth Voice Count co-ordinator, Chlorian Augustin.
CEGEPs and universities have been campaigning for years for a framework law to prevent and combat sexual violence in schools, as is already the case. “All young people have the right to study in a safe and healthy environment. Omerta and impunity must end, he says. We owe it to future generations. »
In the National Assembly on Wednesday, Education Minister Bernard Trinville refused to adopt a framework law, as requested by the opposition. “We are all sick of these stories that are spreading. […] A lot of steps have been taken and let’s see how it works. If we need to add more, we will add more,” he said. But his office refuses to say whether the accused’s teaching certificate will be revoked at this stage.
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