Royal Winnipeg Ballet Class Action Settlement

If you attended the Royal Winnipeg Ballet School (RWB) between 1984 to 2015, and were photographed by Bruce Monk in a private setting while enrolled at the RWB, you may be eligible for a payment from this class action settlement.

What is this Class Action about?

This is a certified class action lawsuit called Doucet v. Royal Winnipeg Ballet, court file number CV-16-564335-00CP.

In the action, the Representative Plaintiffs alleged that Bruce Monk photographed RBW students in a private setting, and that many of these photographs were semi-nude or nude or intimate. Some of the photographs are alleged to have been posted on the internet or published in other ways. The Representative Plaintiffs alleged that the RWB was responsible at law for Monk’s conduct.

Neither the RWB nor Monk has admitted liability. None of the allegations made in the class action have been proven in court. The settlement is a compromise of the parties’ positions.

On February 11, 2022 the Ontario Superior Court of Justice approved the settlement.

The RWB has agreed to pay the all-inclusive amount of $10,000,000 (the “Settlement Fund”) to settle the class action, in return for releases and a dismissal of the class action. The Settlement Fund includes $1,000,000 for court costs, which has been allocated towards Class Counsel’s legal fees.

The Court has approved payment of Class Counsel’s legal fees and disbursements in the amount of $2,260,000 plus HST of $292,500. The fees, exclusive of HST, are 22.5% of the total Settlement Fund. These amounts will be deducted from the Settlement Fund, and paid to Class Counsel.

What is the settlement?

The RWB, on behalf of the Defendants, will pay $10 million to settle the action. The net settlement fund will be distributed to compensate all eligible Student Class Members, taking into account the impact of the photo shoot(s) on the claimant, and whether images were posted on the internet or published in other ways.

The total compensation each eligible Student Class Member will receive will depend upon both the total number of claimants, and the severity of the impacts of the photo shoot(s), as well as whether images were posted on the internet or published in other ways.

Summary of Your Legal Rights and Options