Class Actions

Dionne Schulze assists Indigenous peoples in seeking redress for historic and ongoing abuses by bringing class actions against government authorities and institutions. Learn more below.

Abuse and Mistreatment in Indigenous Medical Boarding Homes

Adrienne Jérôme and Y. Z. v. His Majesty the King in Right of Canada – Indigenous Medical Boarding Homes

This class action seeks to compensate Indigenous individuals for psychological, physical and sexual abuse suffered while placed with a family by the government of Canada to await medical treatment or to convalesce. It also seeks to compensate immediate family for the harm they suffered as a result of the placement. 

The medical boarding home system was established and operated by Canada to house and transport Indigenous persons for medical treatment. 

This action does not cover placements in hospitals, placements for youth protection purposes, or placements for educational purposes.

Latest News

The class action statement of claim was filed on July 26, 2024, before the Federal Court by the law firms Dionne Schulze and Waddell Phillips, with Adrienne Jérôme proposed as the representative plaintiff for the class members.

Subsequently, a principal class member, identified under the pseudonym Y.Z., expressed the wish to be added as a second representative while preserving her anonymity. An amended statement of claim filed on February 27, 2025, was submitted to add Y.Z. as a representative.

Adrienne Jérôme and Y.Z. are the proposed representatives of the group.

If you meet the criteria described below, you are automatically included in the action.

The class action has not yet been authorized.

At this time, no trial date has been set, no settlement has been reached, and no compensation is yet assured.

Are you a member?

You might be a member of this class action if you fit into one of these two groups:

1

Main Group

You are an Indigenous person and you were housed in a boarding home operated, contracted, or funded by the Medical Services Branch of the Department of National Health and Welfare, and/or by any of its predecessors or successors.

2

Family Group

You are the spouse, common-law partner, civil union spouse, ex spouse, ex common-law partner, ex-civil union spouse, child, grandchild, brother, or sister of a person in the Main Group.

Stay Informed About the Class Action

If you think you are a class member and want to receive information on the case, you can sign up to our mailing list by filling out the form below.

Notice about our registration form

Please note that completing this form is not a claim, an application for compensation, or a guarantee of eligibility. It is used solely to allow us to contact you with updates about the class action.

Completing this form does not guarantee any compensation.

Indeed, it will ultimately be up to the court to decide on the merits of the class action and the terms of compensation. In addition, the eligibility criteria to receive compensation could be modified by the court, which could result in your exclusion from the class action.

Please also note that we will not conduct a detailed analysis of each individual case until there is a final judgment or settlement in the file. Completing this form does not mean that you are eligible.

We will inform the people who have registered of any final outcome in the class action. We will communicate with them by email. We invite you to notify us of any changes to your email address.

We also invite you to keep informed through our website which we will update regularly.

We thank you for your interest in this class action.

Address or P.O.(Required)
Were you placed by the Government of Canada in an Indigenous Medical Boarding Home?(Required)

Court documents and Judgement

2025

Statement of Claim (July 26, 2024)

2024

Statement of Claim (July 26, 2024)