The arrest of trainer and teacher Bryan Mayer for various sex crimes sent shockwaves through the Lanaudière region. So far, four suspected victims have come forward in Terrebonne, Mascouche and Laval, and police expect to identify more people in the coming days.
Updated at 5:00 yesterday.
What there is to know
Bryan Mayer, 52, is an athletic coach and high school teacher who has coached “several sports teams” in the Lanaudière region. In particular, he taught at the L’Odyssée-des-Jeunes school in Laval.
He was arrested by Terrebonne police on Tuesday. Eleven charges were brought against him, including sexual assault.
The alleged facts would have occurred “between 2006 and today”, i.e. over a period of around 17 years.
So far, four suspected victims have contacted the police.
In the sports world, the announcement of Bryan Mayer’s arrest has been a bombshell since Tuesday. “When I found out, it cut my legs. He has always been involved in minor hockey. When he was very young, he coached pee teams. He’s a guy that we saw a lot in the arena, and he also refereed baseball,” says a coach who has worked with him several times in the past.
On Tuesday, Bryan Mayer was charged with 11 counts, including sexual assault, sexual interference, solicitation of sexual touching, voyeurism and criminal harassment. All of his alleged victims are minors.
“We had strict rules to run the teams. No one was allowed to be alone in the dressing room with the youngsters. I’ve never seen any signals and if I had seen any I would have asked questions,” adds the source, who prefers to remain anonymous for fear of professional reprisals.
The coach recalls that Mr Mayer regularly organized “video sessions” with players at his home in terms of training. At this point, no warning signs had been hoisted or reported. In the municipality of Terrebonne and Lanaudière there is “complete dismay”, adds the coach.
He was scheduled to officiate a baseball game Tuesday night, but the game was canceled because the umpire was arrested. You don’t see that often, shall we say.
A coach who has worked with Bryan Mayer on several occasions in the past
“I never would have guessed it,” adds a former Lanaudière region umpire who worked with him over the past several years when Mr. Mayer was chief baseball umpire. “He was a warm, friendly person when you met him […] It is sad. It’s scary,” said the man, who also remains anonymous for fear of reprisals.
Another source who knew the defendant when he was a youth volunteer in small hockey in the late 1990s indicates that Mr. Mayer was “very dedicated and very helpful to certain children whose parents were very busy, especially when lifting”. . “If we had heard of any inappropriate behavior at all, we would have acted,” assures this person.
Excluded since March 31st
At the Laval school service centre, the deputy director of the general secretariat, Annie Goyette, confirms that Bryan Mayer was relieved of his duties at the L’Odyssée-des-Jeunes school “as soon as the facts became known, on March 31”. so almost two months ago. “We discovered elements of the investigation that needed further work. For this reason he was arrested [mardi] Ultimately, however, the investigation started some time ago,” says Terrebonne Police Director of Public Affairs, Vincent Charbonneau.
The alleged facts would have occurred between 2006 and today, i.e. over a period of around 17 years.
For all his professional ties, his involvement in school and sports, and the way he works, it’s to be expected that there will be more victims. He used his position of authority to approach young people and then commit sexual acts.
Vincent Charbonneau, Director of Public Affairs, Terrebonne Police
He also says that since his arrest was made public on Tuesday, Terrebonne police have received “a lot of messages and questions” from parents of students and alumni. Therefore, more people could probably get in touch in the coming days. “School service centers have also set up crisis teams. We’ll see what comes of it,” recalls the captain, who promises the police will update the file “as soon as possible.”
“Omerta and impunity must end”
“It’s sad to see that we have to wait decades before hearing about these stories,” says Clorianne Augustin, co-coordinator of the collective Young People’s Voice Matters.
The collective has been campaigning for several years for a framework law to prevent and combat sexual violence in schools, as is already the case at CEGEPs and universities. “All young people have the right to learn in a healthy and safe environment. Omerta and impunity must end, she says. We owe it to future generations. »
In the National Assembly on Wednesday, Education Minister Bernard Drainville rejected a commitment to pass a framework law, as demanded by opposition parties. “We’re all fed up with all these stories multiplying. […] A number of measures have been taken, we’ll see how it works. And if we need to add more, we will add more,” he said. However, his office does not want to say whether the defendant’s teaching diploma will be revoked at this point in time.