Uncover - S22 E5: Face the Music | "The Band Played On"

Episode Date: August 21, 2023

A predatory music teacher has his day in court, and victims are there to watch. When Peter Hamer tried to reveal his secret decades ago, authorities failed to act. Now they're listening. But after so much time has passed, will this man go to prison? Will survivors get the answers they've been seeking? Listener discretion is advised.

Hi, I'm Damon Fairless, host of Hunting Warhead from CBC Podcasts and the Norwegian newspaper VG. Hunting Warhead follows a global team of police and journalists as they attempt to dismantle a massive network of predators on the dark web. Winner of the grand prize for best investigative reporting at the New York festivals and recommended by The Guardian, Vulture, and The Globe and Mail, you can find Hunting Warhead on CBC Listen or wherever you get your podcasts. This is a CBC Podcast. Just a quick note before we begin. You're going to be hearing victims of sexual abuse share some disturbing details.

It can be difficult to listen to. This podcast is not intended for young audiences and it contains explicit language. If you find these stories affect you, please reach out to a mental health professional for help. When it comes to historical sexual assault, it's one person's word against another, right? And that's probably a lot of the reason a lot of people don't come forward. You know, am I more believable than him? Peter Hamer stands outside the courthouse. He tugs at his grey beard.

He's wearing a leather jacket and jeans. It's taken Peter more than 30 years to face the teacher who abused his authority and trust. I feel like I'm a guy. I can take it. It wasn't that bad. I wasn't hurt. Nobody's really going to care anyways. Nothing's really going to happen to the person anyways. What's the point? It's embarrassing. It's humiliating. All of those things that they say are the reasons that guys don't come forward, those are all the reasons. And in your head, in order to function as a human being, you normalize it all.

You make it like, oh, it's not that bad. But the fact is, it is that bad. For Peter, what happened to him back in high school still causes him shame. There's also a significant component of, I did it to myself. As a teenager, you did it to yourself. I said, yes. Yeah, I'll come over to your house. I said, yes.

yeah I'll come over to your house I said yes it's an easy argument for most people to say well you've done this to yourself why you know he's a bad guy you know he's creepy why the hell didn't you just avoid him but he was better at the that gig than I was you know I wasn't his first and I wasn't his last. He was a good predator. In the spring of 2018, Peter readies himself to face his old teacher in court. At this moment in time, Peter isn't the only one finding his voice. The Me Too movement is empowering many women and men to speak out. It's 2018, marijuana is finally allowed and sexual harassment finally isn't. People are revealing long-held secrets. We're going to begin this half hour with the latest on Harvey Weinstein's arrest. There's been a verdict that has been reached in the Bill Cosby trial.

And it feels like right now people are listening in a new way. It's like a scourge on humanity and it's happening right now. It's happening in families. We know it's happening in churches and in schools and sports teams everywhere. There's a momentum to this public conversation but it won't quickly solve historic wounds, crimes that took place against kids in spaces where they're supposed to be protected. And it's sad because we could be anywhere in the world right now waiting to hear a case about a teacher who abused students.

For decades Australian victims of child sex abuse were shunned and cited. The worst case of child sexual abuse in an American school in recent history. The stories are countless. In Canada, they include the thousands of Indigenous children abused in residential schools. Separated from their parents and stripped of their identity, many were subjected to horrible physical and sexual abuse. And this nation must never forget what it once did to its most vulnerable people. There's no good visitor. Peter Hamer feared this day, his day in court, wouldn't come. He thought that Bob Clark, now in his 70s, would die first.

And I thought, let him be, let him not have the guts to take his own life. The two other predatory teachers from Bell High School did die before their court date. But the day is here. The music teacher is here and Peter is ready. And he's not alone. He's one of eight victims of Bob Clark who went to police. Their allegations will be heard in court. It's been a horrible couple of years since I first came forward and the first charge was dropped on him.

But I wouldn't exchange those bad years for the rest of my life being silent. Bob Clark is about to face the music. I'm Julie Ireton. Over the course of five decades, dozens of students were abused by three teachers. The victims were teen boys and girls. Many attended the same public school in a sleepy Canadian suburb. After decades out of the classroom, Bob Clark is about to be held accountable in a court of law. Boy, they sure never mentioned what was going on in the basketball room and I didn't mention what was going on in the music room. He had a room where he could see out and a room where no one could see in. And I don't even care

that it was 20 years and 30 years ago. I feel like people need to know what was actually going on. People knew and remained silent for years while the band played on. This is a podcast from CBC Ottawa. Episode 5, Face the Music. A cheerful-looking old man arrives at the Ottawa courthouse. He's wearing a blue suit and he's carrying two Walmart bags. He looks like someone's grandpa. In fact, he is someone's grandpa. But this senior citizen is also an accused sex offender.

I don't know what the word is to describe him. He's jolly and happy. He's got his two Walmart bags. He's got his tie in one hand and he's being searched by security. And I turned around and he was, you know, we were a distance, he was about four inches tall. And I looked at Jillian and I said, that's him. John Cattell hadn't seen his former music teacher since the late 1970s, the time that he was in his teens, the time his teacher showed him his penis. They didn't see each other again until that day in court.

I was just irked, and sure enough, we get down to the courtroom and we're waiting for the rest of the victims to come, and we go in, and yep, there he is. There was Bob Clark at the front of the courtroom. It had been decades since he'd seen the music teacher. I first met John Cattell and his wife Jillian at court that day. I later visit with them and their dogs at their home.

They live in a brand new house in rural eastern Ontario. They've both recently retired. Cattell is tall and completely bald. His wife is petite. Okay, so I know you grew up in Crystal Beach. Can you tell me a little bit about that? Crystal Beach, well, it was like any other community, I guess. His teacher, Bob Clark, lived nearby. Yeah, they lived on the same street. I lived at number 10, they lived at 49. And then we went to Bell for high school. I met him before I went to high school. I was recruited to go help him do some work in his backyard. It was putting in a greenhouse. It was one of these, I'd never seen one before, but it was like half-sunken

greenhouse kind of thing. That's how I met him the first time. John Cattell had more than one encounter with Clark. John wears a tough exterior that reflects the many years he spent in the military. And I get the sense John Cattell is used to being in control. He's now in his late 50s, one of the older victims. He met some of the others, including Peter Hamer, on the day of Clark's hearing. He takes me back to the courtroom. I had this somewhat unprotected cavalier attitude going in. And I was really irked that he wasn't in a prisoner's box, where he should have been.

Anyway, he's sitting by himself. in a prisoner's box where he should have been anyway he's sitting by himself I knew that it had messed with me in some sort but you know it's it's one of those things you never want to say that you were weak you never want to say oh well this affected me and it's like and and a lot of people just say oh suck it up let it go and for a lot of people just say, oh, suck it up, let it go. And for a lot of people, they can do that. For me, it was not really all that great. John Cattell was one of seven men who came forward after Peter Hamer finally broke his silence. When police laid charges in Peter's case, Cattell heard about it on the news. Others went to police then too. So this was, I was nervous.

I think that was the most nervous I was to meet the other fellows. The survivors. And there was four of us that were there and our support crew. And so we got introduced and all I remember is the wives telling me how strong I was for coming forward. And actually, I felt exactly the opposite. I said I should have been the first guy. The first guy to speak up, to have told someone years ago that the teacher was being vulgar, assaultive. I never did anything about it.

So no, was I strong? No. I wasn't strong enough to come forward. I just wasn't strong enough because come forward. I just wasn't strong enough because I couldn't take the heat myself by myself, even though I knew I wasn't the only, you know, I wasn't the only one. But that first meeting with Peter and the others in court was uneasy because I didn't want to be not, not to be associated with them, but I didn't want to know who they were. Because it would only make me feel worse that I didn't do what I should have done earlier. This is how I feel. This may not be how they felt. I also found out in court that my brother's best friend was also one of these victims.

And his brother's best friend stayed at home on the day Clark was in court. He couldn't contemplate facing his abuser. But I'll visit him later to hear his story. When the hearing got underway, a lawyer read out the charges. They said we have to read everything into court so they went and read everything. Wow. Wow.

Details of Bob Clark's crimes against eight teens in the 1970s, 80s, and 90s. There was a lot of similar things, you know, traits, and his method of operation became apparent. The grooming, the come-ons in the music room. The teacher often masturbated in front of these students,

at his home, on band trips. He would ask students for oral sex. He asked to be touched. Some were sexually assaulted. In John Cattell's case, the charge was gross indecency. Yeah, that was when I was over at his house working on the greenhouse. Clark would ask teen boys to help with yard work at his home or offer rides in his shiny sports cars. Then boys were touched, groped. John Cattell remembers the day in 1975 when Clark asked him for help at his house.

Do you feel comfortable telling me what happened? Sure, I guess. We were outside. It was a hot day. I can tell you what he was wearing. I can tell you how he had his hair, the glasses he was wearing, the color of his shirt, the color of his shorts, his sandal color, and I can tell you the white trim on his blue shorts. I remember that day vividly when I was 13 years old. He can't bring himself to say the teacher's name. He calls him R.C. for Robert Clark. We took a break for lunch or whatever it was.

We ended up inside the house. I was in the kitchen. R.C. had gone to his bedroom, had come out, and he was standing in the hallway holding a magazine, and he had his penis in his other hand. And yeah, so there you go. That was the first time I ever met him, I believe. It must have been awfully awkward and weird

and somewhat horrifying. It was weird. I think I was too young. I wasn't sexually aware at 13 I knew of sex but not you know I don't think I was sexually aware or active at that time I know I wasn't active at that time but no I just I let it ride and I don't I have to this day I have no idea why my dad asked, why didn't you come see me? I don't have a reason. I don't have a, not an excuse, I don't have a reason for it.

I just didn't do it. Even after all these years, it all still ricochets inside his head. The regrets, the memories, the teacher, the Bob Clark we've come to know. Sometimes it's easy to forget that Bob Clark isn't one-dimensional. He isn't just an alleged criminal. He was a talented musician. He was a father, a friend. There were three people in the courtroom supporting Bob Clark that day.

Two men and a lady who was sitting behind me, and a man who was sitting in front, and a man who was sitting opposite, a couple rows up. Right, and then behind me. Yes. I was there too, trying to figure out who was who. His brother sat quietly writing in a little notebook. And there was a woman with long grey hair, a childhood friend.

And then there was another man, quite tall with white hair. His name is Ted Penton. quite tall with white hair. His name is Ted Penton. Well, we're looking for a white tilly hat, apparently. Right. The older gentleman in the tilly hat is Ted Penton, Clark's old friend.

He's inside the coffee shop. Hi, Peter, I'm Ted. Nice to meet you. Nice to meet you. It's been... I remember you from high school, but I was never one of your students. I was wondering whether we'd crossed paths. Penton is now in his 70s, a former teacher at Bell High. My sister was one of your students, and she credits you with her love of history.

Oh. He holds his red paper coffee cup with two hands. Peter sits across from him at the table and he gets right to it. I gather you were in court sitting in front of me and hearing the statement of facts and what upsets me the adults who were adults at the time, didn't do their job. They didn't protect the teenagers. And so I really want those answers. Because I deserve that. Can I just pause there for a moment? I'm sorry.

No, no, no. My first comment is that I didn't know what was going to happen today. I had no clue. But you're bringing tears to my eyes. Let me tell you one thing. I want to make it clear. I'm a friend of Bob Clark's. So let me start at the beginning. Bob and I met at Tech. Ted Penton met Bob Clark in the 1960s.

At that time, they were both teaching at the same school. They both moved on to different jobs but they met again in the mid 1970s at Bell High. And then we caught up at Bell when I arrived in 1974. So we resumed a friendly acquaintance. And they would socialize together with their wives. And I, like many other teachers and students, admired what he did as a band leader. Ted Penton was sometimes a chaperone on school band trips back then. Then sometime in the 1980s, they ended up at different

schools and they lost touch. Years went by. And then in June 2016, Ted Penton's son called him with some news. So dad, did you know that Bob Clark has been charged? I said, what? I was shot. What? I was shot? And I would be wrong if I said, okay, I now flash back to these funny things that seem to be going on. But anyway, so I sat down, I do meditation. Kenton is a religious man, and he's not one to abandon a friend in need. So emailed him and said hi Bob you know I just learned today of the charges brought against you just want you to know you're my thoughts and prayers and so anyway I just left it.

I never once asked him nor did he Bob tell me what the charges were. I thought hey I'm giving my, what support I can. And that is really just being present. So on the day of Bob Clark's sentencing, Ted was there. He knew very little about his friend's crimes before the hearing. And then he heard the lawyer describe the abuse of eight former students. And he saw Peter weeping. I left the courtroom a changed man. When I get home, I tell my wife what I've been through

and I say, I don't know where to go. I don't know where to go with this. This is profoundly disturbing, what I've heard. Ted Penton believes in paying penance, seeking forgiveness of sins, and he remains in frequent contact with his friend. It's been tough for Bob Clark. It's been tough for Bob Clark.

Not for a second am I trying to say, oh, okay, I get it. It's been very difficult for him. Yeah, so here's the interesting thing, and I've received an awful lot of therapy over this one, but the guilt that I have over doing this to him is significant oh Yes, I know that

Nothing about this is easy for him And I say I did this to him I didn't do anything to him I just held him accountable for his actions and I'm reminded of that constantly by my friends going, no, you did nothing. But I think about the collateral damage. Clark's wife and his kids. And I think about the people that went through music and became really successful and were never victims

and looked back and said, you know, he was a pretty outstanding music teacher and he did wonderful things for the Bell High School band. And in a day, I changed everything for all of those people by coming to the police. Ted looks Peter in the eye. The fact is, you were a victim and you should never have been a victim. And the others. So, Bob is okay, a friend, but a terrible, terrible abuse.

A criminal abuse. A terrible abuse. It was life-altering for the man I'm heading to see out here in the country. In 600 metres, turn right onto Fourth Line Road. John Myers couldn't bear to be in court on the day of Bob Clark's sentencing. Back in high school, John Myers was best friends with John Cattell's brother. Each man had no idea the other was being abused by the music teacher. Destination is on the right.

Okay, this is a nice little house. Third row. Here we go. Myers leads a quiet life out here in these woods. Hi there. How are you doing, John? Good, how about you? He's now 58.

I've warned everybody the house is a mess. I'll feel right at home then. He admits he's a bit of a recluse. It's on two acres of land, and it's a really tiny, it's a very small house. Perfect, it was just me and my daughter for a long time, and it was perfect just for the two of us. And he wouldn't have told anyone about those days in band if someone else hadn't come forward first. That's why I said Peter Amir deserves a medal because I don't think I would have ever shared ever what happened.

Forty years ago, Bob Clark was John Myers' teacher and his nearby neighbour. He lived on the next street over to me. From my house, wasn't even probably 200 yards. I know he was at his house more than once. I can remember being in the car with him a couple of times, so I think he became sort of a father figure for me,

almost in that sense that that was the only discipline that I was getting. Back then, John Myers needed the extra attention. It was just me and my mom and dad, but my dad was not around very much, and my mom was dying of cancer, and so it was really just me. Myers became band president. He spent a lot of time at fundraisers, at band practices, and then there were the band trips. One awful trip to Western Canada still torments him. We took the bus one way through the Rockies

and the train the other way through the Rockies. And when we hit Calgary, they rented a shower for the boys and the girls. And Bob Clark actually went in and took pictures of the boys in the shower and actually had them perform acrobatic things for him, like making a pyramid and stuff like that, totally with no clothes on. On the same trip, they went sightseeing in the mountains. I remember being on a chairlift with him on a field trip, and he masturbated on the chairlift. It was a two-man chairlift, and we're, you know,

hundreds of meters off the ground, and I've got nowhere to go, and he masturbated there. Then there's a story at Bob Clark's house, the one just down the street from where teenager John Myers lived. His wife was upstairs in the house and we went downstairs. I don't know why. I don't know why I was there. I don't know why I went downstairs with him. But he decided to masturbate again. And when he

was masturbating, he pulled out those pictures. Those pictures he'd taken on the band trip. And there were several of those pictures. He was in a big hurry because he didn't want to get caught by his wife, is what he said. And it was really kind of surreal. Were these pictures of your classmates? Yes it was pictures of of the pyramid and specifically the pyramid and setting up the pyramid and stuff like that. He was clicking away as he was doing them. John Myers didn't tell anyone about any of this back in high school. At least now he knows he's not alone. There's a kinship there.

There's, you know, almost a band of brothers sort of mentality there a little bit. And it doesn't make me feel any better because I wish nobody felt what I felt and or what I feel. In 2017, it felt like drugs were everywhere in the news. So I started a podcast called On Drugs. We covered a lot of ground over two seasons, but there are still so many more stories to tell.

I'm Jeff Turner, and I'm back with season three of On Drugs. And this time, it's going to get personal. I don't know who Sober Jeff is. I don't even know if I like that guy. On Drugs is available now wherever you get your podcasts. They still internalize it. They believe that somehow they're responsible for it. They're at fault for it. David Lisak, a psychologist and researcher. He spent decades learning to help survivors of sexual abuse. To disclose this feels like to them that they would be disclosing something

absolutely horrendous that they had done. For Lisak, this research is both professional and deeply personal. As a young boy, he was sexually abused himself. David Lisak grew up in Canada and now lives in New Mexico. But he has studied and worked across the U.S. Well, yes, I was a faculty member at University of Massachusetts, Boston, when the clergy abuse scandal in Boston erupted. I consulted on a number of those cases.

The eruption he's talking about has come to be known as the Spotlight scandal. The Boston priest molested kids in six different parishes over the last 30 years. The church found out about it and did nothing. Spotlight is the Oscar award-winning movie released by Open Road Films in 2015. Spotlight?

Guys, listen. Everybody's going to be interested in this. It rocked the Catholic Diocese of Boston in the early 2000s. When you're a poor kid from a poor family, and when a priest pays attention to you, it's a big deal. How do you say no to God? There were so many men who were coming forward at that time. I was quite busy. A lot of it was responding to cries for help from the wives of those men

who had never known that their husbands, who were now often in their 40s, 50s, and 60s, and had never known about the abuse that they had suffered. The victims in this story, the men in particular, and had never known about the abuse that they had suffered. The victims in this story, the men in particular, don't always understand why these encounters have had such a profound effect on them. Lisak has some answers. So I have worked with so many men in so many different contexts for whom the abuse on the surface looked so minor, so incidental, that you couldn't imagine this could have a long-term impact on them. And the opposite is true. And I'll give you one example.

I evaluated a man who was actually one of the men in Boston who was sexually abused by one of the well-known priests in Boston. And it had a tremendous impact on him. 15 seconds of fondling over the clothes. It can be extremely damaging. It will depend on the characteristics of the child, what else is going on in their life, what are the vulnerabilities they might have. It can completely colour the child's understanding of the adult world.

He continues to work with men who wear that damage. But Lisak says talking about the abuse is like medicine. These boys are really trapped in this silence and isolation. And in that isolation, they can never ask the most basic questions. a man who was sexually abused as a child and who for decades throughout their adulthood have felt that they were culpable, they were guilty, they were at fault, or there's this secret about them that they could never tell anybody about. And the core reason why they have harbored this for decades is that during the sexual abuse, at some point, or sometimes repeatedly, they were aroused. And so they feel like they were complicit,

or they wanted it, or they're secretly gay, or they're something, you know, they get all these ideas. And they never are able to ask anybody, a therapist or anybody would have, you know, the basic information to tell them that actually that's a completely normal physical response, physiological response. And it has nothing to do with desire. It has nothing to do with sexual arousal in the sense that we usually think of it. It's almost a mechanical reaction of the body. The worst thing is to be trapped in that isolation. So anything that breaks that silence is almost certain to be a dramatic improvement.

Some of the victims have met each other. They met in court on the day of Bob Clark's sentencing. Courtroom number seven. Bob Clark stands up. His young lawyer is beside him. Clark has made a deal. He's pleading guilty. He admits to eight counts, including gross indecency and sexual assault against his eight former students. Other charges were dismissed in the bargain.

Two men in the back of the courtroom, both victims, are weeping. One is Peter Hamer. When they called my name and I was terrified. He walks up to the front of the courtroom. He's ready to read his victim impact statement. So you go up and you stand at this little podium. He has trouble getting started. You know, I wasn't composed. I couldn't remain composed. A police detective pours him a glass of water. The judge was, she said, you know, just take your time.

I'm not allowed to record inside the courtroom, but Peter reads it to me later. So I wrote this. This is Bob Clark. I spent over 33 years suffering. You were supposed to be there to teach, to mentor, to protect, and to care for your students. Instead, you preyed upon them. You preyed upon me. My pain was so deep, so overwhelming that at the time, I believed I could never make it past it.

I believed there was no way I was ever not going to be a victim. I didn't have the courage to carry through and end the pain at that time. I decided then that I would just stay silent, keep your secret, and suffer quietly. Until now, I've chosen not to keep your secret anymore. I don't care if you feel remorse. I don't care if you're sad or if you're regretful of your actions. None of that matters to me. The burden I've carried on my shoulders for most of my life is now the heavy weight that you will carry. I've gained my life back. When the victims are done speaking, it's Bob Clark's turn. First, there's a short recess.

But the four victims who have come to court that day take a stand together. I said, do I have to listen? Because I don't really want to hear what he has to say. And they said, no, of course you don't have to be in there. I said, because I'm not going to. you don't have to be in there I said because I'm not going to I don't want to give him an audience so then I talked to the the three other victims that were in court and I said I'm not going in and they said okay we're not going in and John actually left at that point but I did stay in court that day Clark stood up to address the judge and others still in

the room this is some of what he said to the court my words can do nothing to undo the judge and others still in the room. This is some of what he said to the court. My words can do nothing to undo the hurt I've caused. I wish I could have said them a long time ago. Unfortunately, you're not here to hear this. My heart is completely broken. I never willingly hurt anyone. My fervent hope is that the message of this letter will be accepted in the spirit in which it is sent. I grievously harmed you, as well I know that the crime I committed against you has had a profound adverse effect on your life. I have admitted my guilt before the court of law and will be serving a sentence. If at some point you were ever able to find it within yourself to forgive me, I will be deeply grateful. On March 21st, 2018, Bob Clark was sentenced to years in federal prison. They wrapped up court and I stayed. I needed to watch while the police

officer came in and escorted him out of court. And he had handcuffs behind his back and he walked by I needed to see that. It was a powerful feeling. The old man was no longer smiling, and his Walmart bags were gone. But it's got the appropriate ending. Outside the courthouse, I interview Peter in front of a waiting TV camera. Because I know you were fearful that today wouldn't come. Yeah hearing that he was at Royal Ottawa for suicide watch I'm like thank god they kept him alive.

He gives his reaction for the local news that night. So Peter this was a day you've been waiting for a long time how do you feel now? I feel vindicated. I feel really good that we got our day in court and this bad man is going to prison. I feel wonderful now. But that's a feeling that doesn't last. Clark made a plea bargain so there was no trial and some of the evidence was sealed. And Peter didn't get all the answers he was looking for. I want to know what was on record. Such as files containing Clark's employment history at various schools.

And there's another file that the judge kept secret. It's called the Sexual Behaviors Assessment. It's a psychiatric report all about Bob Clark. There was a passing reference to that report in the court hearing. The lawyer said Clark sought psychiatric help as far back as the 1960s. Shit, I was one. You know, I think that actually aligns. He started teaching in 1967, I think it was. So he'd been teaching for maybe a year, and then he became a patient in the sexual deviance clinic.

How did somebody think that that was okay? Coming up on the next episode. I read the assessment, and it's so upsetting. He went for help. He was ignored. So who do you blame now? If he was trying to get help, the system failed us. And it failed him as well as me and the other victims.

The band Played On is reported and hosted by me, Julie Ireton. The podcast is written by me and Kristen Nelson. Kristen is also the series producer and sound editor. Chris Oak is our story editor. Jennifer Chevalier is our investigative producer. Cecil Rosner is director of CBC Regional Investigations. and the managing editor of CBC Ottawa is Ruth Zodu. If you like this podcast, please subscribe for free wherever you get your podcasts and please help us spread the word by rating, reviewing, or simply telling a friend.

If you or someone you know has been sexually abused, community resources can help. Reach out to a trusted person, a sexual assault centre, or a rape crisis centre in your area. There are also resources available for people at risk of suicide, such as the Canadian Suicide Prevention Service or the US-based National Suicide Prevention Lifeline. Check online for information. For more CBC Podcasts, go to cbc.ca slash podcasts.