New lawsuit alleges years of abuse before being assigned to notorious former Kelowna social worker

A new lawsuit has been filed against the Ministry of Children and Family Development and multiple Kelowna social workers, detailing allegations of a horrific upbringing for a First Nations girl who was moved between abusive foster homes and parents before ending up on the streets and having two of her own children taken from her and placed into the system.

In a notice of civil claim filed Dec. 20 in Vancouver, the now-19-year-old woman outlines the years that led up to her being placed in the care of infamous former social worker Robert Riley Saunders, who she alleges like many others, siphoned funds out of a joint bank account he set up for her.

Castanet News is identifying the recent plaintiff at TG, as some of the allegations involve sexual abuse. None of the allegations have been proven in court.

TG was removed from the care of her biological mother at age three, “in part due to her mother’s tumultuous and chaotic relationship” with a man who would become her foster father later in life, once she was in her teens.

The lawsuit alleges three-year-old TG was placed in the care of a foster family for about five months, during which time she was physically abused by the parents and sexually abused by another foster child in the home. 

After evidence of sexual abuse came to the attention of the ministry in August 2003, the claim says it took until December 2003 for the government to move her from the home. The ministry placed TG in the care of her biological father, who the lawsuit alleges had a history of criminal convictions involving domestic violence. The biological mother had since died in a car crash. 

TG remained in the care of her biological father for 12 years, during which time she was punched in the face as a form of discipline, pinned to the floor, kicked out of the house and had her life threatened.

The lawsuit says the Ministry of Children and Family Development knew of the abuse “at the latest” by January 2013, but did not remove her from his care until January 2015. She was not assigned a foster home until November 2015, leaving her homeless in the meantime. 

At that point, 15-year-old TG was placed in the care of a couple with “severe and chronic substance use disorder.” Her foster father was the same man that resulted in TG being removed from the care of her biological mother when she was three, the lawsuit says.

“Within a week or two” of being placed with the new foster family, TG began reporting problems. Complaints ranged from being isolated from family events to her brother being forced to sleep in a storage room. She said her new foster parents were also heavy drinkers and drug users who would drive them around while under the influence.

After the ministry refused to move TG to a different foster home, she ran away and became homeless, eventually attempting suicide.

“When the plaintiff asked for support and funds for shelter and food, and asked for an independent living arrangement, the social workers assigned to the plaintiff accused her of being greedy, self-serving and manipulative,” the lawsuit says. 

In March 2016, TG gave birth to a child. The Ministry took the child from her, because she was homeless at the time, and placed in into the care of the foster family TG had run away from. 

TG and her child were finally formally removed from the home in October 2016 after the foster father overdosed on injection opioids in a child’s bedroom, requiring Naloxone to be resuscitated. 

The lawsuit alleges, however, it took until February 2018 for the ministry to provide proper food, clothing and shelter for TG, leaving her homeless during that time.

“Lacking suitable shelter, the plaintiff developed a substance use disorder and was sexually exploited,” the lawsuit continues. 

Kelowna-based Robert Riley Saunders was assigned to TG sometime in fall 2016, and resisted her requests for an “independent living arrangement.” In March 2017, the lawsuit says Saunders opened a joint bank account with TG on the pretext to provide her funds for food and shelter.

TG gave birth to a second child in June 2017, who was also removed from her care.

Mirroring numerous other allegations by other former children in Saunders’ care, TG says the Kelowna social worker used the money from the joint account to pay for his own mortgage and trips, before closing the account in January 2018 and completely emptying the account. 

The ministry uncovered the thefts by Saunders in December 2017 and offered TG and independent living arrangement in February 2018, the suit says. Saunders was terminated in May 2018.

TG’s lawsuit also names social worker Siobhan Stynes, who has been named in multiple other lawsuits filed against Saunders, social worker Terra Plut and Interior Savings.

The claim alleges Interior Savings allowed Saunders to empty numerous joint accounts in January 2018 after the Ministry informed them of problems involving Saunders. While the credit union has not responded to TG's lawsuit, it has denied blame in others involving Saunders. 

TG is represented by Jason Gratl, a Vancouver-based lawyer who is also managing a class-action lawsuit against the government over the alleged Saunders’ thefts. 

The TG suit seeks a variety of damages, the tracing of funds taken by Saunders as well as funds for therapeutic and educational supports. 

Earlier this year, Castanet learned Saunders, who has not been criminally charged, appears to have lied about his qualifications; Saunders claimed to have degrees from the University of Manitoba – but the university says they have no record of him graduating from the school.

In May, MCFD executive director Barry Fulton, along with two other employees, were fired in the wake of the allegations.

In December 2018, the MCFD admitted “vicarious liability” for the actions of Saunders alleged in the suits at that time, and agreed that general damages and court-ordered interest was appropriate for Saunders' alleged victims.

**the civil action against Terra Plut was discontinued on January 9 2020. 

"The claims against Ms. Plut were never pursued. Ms. Plut was not served with the Notice of Civil Claim and Ms. Plut did not participate as a defendant," said he lawyers in a statement to Castanet in June 2020