Wayne Hankey scandal: Second civil lawsuit filed against King’s College in Halifax

CITYnews halifax \ By The Canadian Press

A second lawsuit has been filed against the University of King’s College and Dalhousie University in Halifax claiming the affiliated institutions failed to protect a former student from a professor and Anglican minister known for his sexually abusive behaviour.

The civil suit also names the Anglican Diocesan Synod of Nova Scotia and the estate of the longtime professor, Wayne Hankey, who died in February 2022.

In a notice of action filed last week with the Supreme Court of Nova Scotia, the plaintiff alleges he was sexually assaulted by Hankey in the early 1980s during a mentoring session inside a residence on the King’s campus.

The statement of claim says Hankey put his hand inside the plaintiff’s gym shorts and slid his hand towards his genitals, which prompted the plaintiff to flee the room.

The lawsuit alleges that Hankey used the trust inherent in his positions as a professor and ordained minister to sexually assault the plaintiff, whose identity is covered by a publication ban.

It says King’s, Dalhousie and the Anglican Church knew, or ought to have known, that Hankey had sexually abusive tendencies, but they failed to take any actions to protect the plaintiff.