For the second time within a year, an elderly former teacher from Calgary, Fred Archer, is confronting historical sexual assault accusations. Legal documents reveal that Fred Archer, 81, is now facing two fresh charges related to sexual assault and exploitation involving a male individual between 1985 and 1986. These new allegations arise amidst the finalization of a $15 million class-action settlement involving approximately 40 individuals who claim to have suffered abuse from Archer or another former colleague at John Ware Junior High School.
According to RCMP spokesperson Gina Slaney, the recent charges stem from Archer’s tenure as a guidance counselor at Springbank Middle School in the 1980s and 1990s before transitioning to John Ware. Archer’s defense attorney, Timothy Dunlap, mentioned that although they are yet to receive full disclosure, Archer is gearing up to contest the charges, maintaining his innocence firmly.
Expressing unease about the timing of the accusations, Dunlap highlighted the lure of potential monetary gain from the ongoing settlement, implying a possible influx of accusers due to financial incentives. Archer, having already served a three-year prison sentence for prior sexual assault convictions, pleaded guilty in 2009 to offenses including sexual assault and gross indecency. In a 2010 parole hearing, Archer acknowledged the potential for additional victims to surface, expressing readiness to face any further legal consequences.
In a separate development, a class-action lawsuit initiated in 2021 targeted the Calgary Board of Education and another former teacher, Michael Gregory, who was accused of similar misconduct and later died by suicide after facing criminal charges. The lawsuit subsequently expanded to include Archer in 2024, alleging a collaboration between Gregory and Archer in perpetrating abuses, with claims that the education board was aware but did not intervene to safeguard students.
In January 2025, Archer faced five new criminal charges, including sexual assault, interference, and sexual invitation involving two 12-year-old students at John Ware. A trial for these charges is scheduled to commence during the upcoming summer.