Chief coroner investigates death of teen at Brantford school for the blind

Ontario’s chief coroner’s office has called an inquest into the death of a teen who died while attending a residential school for the blind.

The decision marks a victory for the parents of Samuel Brown, who have been calling for an investigation since last fall.

The 18-year-old deaf, blind and non-verbal student died while in the care of W. Ross MacDonald school in Brantford in February of 2018.

A cause of death stated on the coroner investigation statement said he died of natural causes but the autopsy report doesn’t say the words “natural causes” anywhere in it.

His parents say only 12 hours passed between the time the school told them their son was feeling slightly unwell and the time he was pronounced dead in a local hospital.

The coroner’s office has not yet set a date for the inquest.

Meanwhile, W. Ross MacDonald school has made headlines over the last decade.

A class action lawsuit including up to 1,000 students enrolled between 1951 and 2009 detailed disturbing allegations of including staff kicking students, forcing them to eat their own vomit and drink from urinals.

These allegations were never proven in court after an $8 million settlement in 2017.

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