A proposed class action lawsuit claims Toronto’s entertainment district isn’t safe for young women and the companies operating some of the biggest nightclubs in the city are part of the problem.
Mark Holland, a club promoter in Toronto, was convicted of sexual assaulted in 2022 after being charged back in 2017.
Holland is now facing three counts of sexual assault charges from this July while once again working in Toronto’s club district.
The new charges against Holland prompted an emotional press conference from women who say they’ve faced sexual violence in Toronto’s club district.
“I am sad and heartbroken to see Mark Holland is still out there hurting more women and still has people enabling his disgusting behaviour. I have rebuilt myself, changed career paths, and shifted my focus. But I still continue to have the same questions: How many more women need to get hurt for our justice system to change?” said a survivor of sexual violence who goes by the initials M.H.
A number of women are looking to certify a class action lawsuit against some of the biggest club operators in the city, alleging the companies have continued to do business with known offenders.
Kathryn Marshall with Marshall Law is working with the women in attempt to put together the lawsuit.
“It’s highly problematic in a country like Canada that we have an industry which is heavily licensed, obviously heavily insured, but somehow permitted to employ and affiliate with a convicted sex offender, and you have very vulnerable women coming into these clubs, in these night spots, there’s liquor being served,” said Marshall.
“This is the breeding ground for assault. And we are looking for accountability from the industry. I’m looking forward to hearing the response from some of these companies. I’ll see who’s going to take ownership, who’s going to take accountability, what is the government going to do to fix it?”
“We need change, we need a system that protects victims, not the men that hurt them. We need mandatory sentencing for repeat offenders. We need transparency around convictions, and we need trials that don’t drag on for years,” added a survivor of sexual violence who goes by the initials S.J.
CityNews attempted to contact Mark Holland’s lawyer but was unsuccessful.
One of the companies expected to be named in the class action lawsuit did not respond to a request for comment while the other said Holland is not affiliated with its properties.
According to Marshall, part of the trouble is club promoters are rarely formal employees of the establishments, but more freelance operators working to bring people in.
The lawsuit will be seeking more oversight and financial damages.
