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.

This action was certified as a class action by court order dated June 27, 2018.

The parties entered into a settlement on November 15, 2021. The Court has now approved the Settlement Agreement, finding that it is fair, reasonable, and in the best interests of the Class.

Class Members may now make a claim to receive a portion of the Settlement Fund.

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

Compensation is not yet available to Class Members. If the Court approves the settlement, more information will be provided on this website about how to submit a claim.

The RWB, on behalf of the Defendants, will pay $10 million CAD to settle the action, inclusive of legal fees and claims administration expenses. 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.

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.

In addition to the compensation for the harms suffered from the photo shoots, each eligible Student Class Member will be able to claim a one-time payment of $1,000 CAD for health services (such as counselling) which they have received or will be seeking.

In addition, eligible Student Class Members will also be entitled to request one lump sum payment for their related Family Class Members, which may be valued at up to $2,500 CAD.

To be eligible to receive part of the Settlement Fund, Class Members must submit a completed Claim Form to the Claims Administrator, Epiq Class Action Services Canada Inc., no later than February 28, 2023. Claim Forms are available for download on the Claims Administrator’s website, and on Class Counsel’s website.

The completed Claim Form must be sent to the Claims Administrator at:

Epiq Class Action Services Canada Inc.
Attention: RWB Class Action
P.O. 507 – STN B
Ottawa ON K1P 5P6
Fax: 1-866-262-0816
Email: info@rwbclassaction.ca

If you have questions about how to complete the Claim Form, please contact the Claims Administrator using the details below.

If you need help completing the Claim Form, please contact Class Counsel using the details below, and they will assist.

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

An Ontario Superior Court judge will decide whether to approve the proposed settlement in an online hearing on February 11, 2022, at 10:00 am. The judge will decide whether the settlement is fair, reasonable, and in the best interests of the Class Members, and if the requested legal fees are fair. A request will also be made that the Court approve an honorarium to be paid to the Representative Plaintiffs and to other Class Members who were instrumental in bringing about the action, and prosecuting the claim for the benefit of all Class Members.

Update: On February 11, 2022 the Ontario Superior Court of Justice approved the settlement. The deadline to submit a claim for benefits is 11:59 pm EST on February 28, 2023.

Compensation is not yet available to Class Members. If the Court approves the settlement, more information will be provided on this website about how to submit a claim.

If the settlement is approved, the class action will be dismissed in its entirety. The RWB and Monk will receive a release from all Class Members, whether the Class Member receives compensation or not. This means that no Class Members will be able to sue the RWB or Monk in the future for any harm or damage suffered as a result being photographed by Monk while they were students.

Another notice will be sent to the Class Members who attended the Royal Winnipeg Ballet School and were photographed by Bruce Monk in a private setting with instructions on how to submit a claim for compensation.

Update: On February 11, 2022 the Ontario Superior Court of Justice approved the settlement. The deadline to object was on February 9, 2022.

If you do not think the proposed settlement is fair, reasonable, and in the best interests of the Class Members, or you object to the amount of legal fees that are being sought, you can make an objection to the Court in one (1) or both of two (2) ways:

1) You can send in a statement, which must include your name, contact information, confirmation that you are a Class Member, and an explanation of why you object to the settlement or counsel fees. Class Counsel will file these with the Court in an anonymous form, with names and contact information redacted. Statements can be sent by email or mail and must be received no later than February 7, 2022, at 11:59 EST at:

Waddell Phillips Professional Corporation
Attention: Royal Winnipeg Ballet Class Action
36 Toronto Street, Suite 1120
Toronto ON M5C 2C5
Email: reception@waddellphillips.ca

2) You can make submissions directly to the Court at the settlement approval hearing. If you want to address the Court, email reception@waddellphillips.ca no later than February 9, 2022, at 11:59 EST. Details of how to participate in the virtual hearing will be sent to every Class Member who wishes to speak.

The Class includes:

All persons who attended the Royal Winnipeg Ballet School (the “School”) from 1984 to 2015 and who, while enrolled at the School, were photographed by Bruce Monk in a private setting (the Student Class),

including a subclass of:

All members of the Student Class whose intimate photographs taken by Bruce Monk were posted on the internet, sold, published or otherwise displayed in a public setting (the Privacy Subclass); and

All dependants of members of the Student Class, as defined by section 61 of the Family Law Act, R.S.O. 1990, c. F.3 (the Family Class).

Yes. Waddell Phillips Professional Corporation and Gillian Hnatiw & Co. are the lawyers for the Representative Plaintiffs and are Class Counsel.

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

If the proposed settlement is approved, the lawyers will be paid from the settlement fund. Class Members will not need to pay anything out of their own pocket. Class Counsel are requesting that $2,250,000.00 CAD of the settlement fund be allocated towards their contingency legal fees, plus taxes, and disbursements, which is equivalent to 25% of $9 million or 22.5% of the total settlement fund. 10% of the net settlement fund, after deduction of legal fees and expenses will also be paid to the Class Proceedings Fund, which provided financial support to enable the prosecution of the class action lawsuit.

You can obtain more information about this settlement by contacting Class Counsel or the Claims Administrator using the contact details listed below:

Claims Administrator:

Royal Winnipeg Ballet Class Action Claims Administrator
c/o Epiq Class Action Services Canada Inc.
P.O. Box 507 STN B
Ottawa ON K1P 5P6
Email: info@RWBClassAction.ca
Telephone: 1-833-871-5362
Fax: 1-866-262-0816

Class Counsel:

Waddell Phillips Professional Corporation
Attention: Royal Winnipeg Ballet Class Action
36 Toronto Street, Suite 1120
Toronto ON M5C 2C5
Email: reception@waddellphillips.ca
Telephone: 647-261-4486
Fax: 416-477-1657
https://waddellphillips.ca/class-actions/royal-winnipeg-ballet-class-action/

or

Gillian Hnatiw & Co.
Attention: Royal Winnipeg Ballet Class Action
67 Yonge St., 2nd Floor
Toronto ON M5E 1J8
Telephone: 416-825-5659
Fax: 416-352-1526
https://www.gillianandco.ca/contact-us

A copy of the Settlement Agreement is also posted here.