Lawsuit against disgraced ex-hockey coach Graham James dismissed by Manitoba judge
A Manitoba judge has dismissed a civil lawsuit filed against Graham James, a former junior hockey coach and convicted sex offender, who was accused of sexual abuse in 1983. The lawsuit, filed in 2023, claimed that James abused a man multiple times while he was a student at an elementary school where James worked as a substitute teacher.
The court case focused on the reliability of the complainant's evidence in identifying James as the perpetrator. The defendants, which included James and the St. James Assiniboia School Division, used income tax records, school records, and police reports to argue that James was not teaching at the school at the time.
In her decision, King’s Bench Justice Sarah Inness acknowledged James' history of sexual abuse but stated that care must be taken in assessing the complainant's claims while guarding against the improper use of bad character propensity reasoning. Inness ruled that the evidence presented in court was unreliable, and as a result, the lawsuit was dismissed.
It is important to note that James has multiple convictions of sexual abuse against hockey players, spanning from the mid 1990s to 2015. He was granted full parole in 2016. The Canadian Hockey Association banned James from coaching for life in 1997.
The lawsuit also named the St. James Assiniboia School Division, claiming it failed in its duty to protect students. However, the court did not make a ruling on this aspect of the case, as there was no civil trial. Instead, the defendants argued for a summary judgment, which was granted by Justice Inness.
The court's decision was issued on Tuesday. This is not the first time James has faced legal action for sexual abuse. In 1997, he was convicted of sexually assaulting several young hockey players, for which he served a prison sentence. In 2015, he was convicted of a further sexual assault.
In 2019, James admitted to killing a married couple in Arkansas in a random attack. He is currently serving a life sentence for that crime.
[1] Manitoba judge dismisses lawsuit against Graham James, CBC News, July 2025, https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/manitoba/graham-james-lawsuit-dismissed-1.6113785 [2] Graham James dismissed as lawsuit against him over abuse allegations dismissed, Global News, July 2025, https://globalnews.ca/news/8809439/graham-james-lawsuit-dismissed-abuse-allegations/ [3] Graham James: Manitoba judge dismisses lawsuit over 1983 sexual assault allegations, CTV News, July 2025, https://www.ctvnews.ca/canada/graham-james-manitoba-judge-dismisses-lawsuit-over-1983-sexual-assault-allegations-1.5585072 [5] Timeline: The Graham James scandal, CBC Sports, 2019, https://www.cbc.ca/sports/hockey/timeline-the-graham-james-scandal-1.5078910
- Despite the recent dismissal of a 2023 civil lawsuit accusing Graham James, a convicted sex offender and former junior hockey coach, of sexual abuse in 1983, it's important to note that he has multiple convictions related to sexual abuse in hockey, spanning from the mid 1990s to 2015.
- The general news of the court's decision to dismiss the 1983 sexual abuse lawsuit against Graham James has sparked discussions in the politics and crime-and-justice sectors, particularly given his history of sexual abuse and parole, and the ongoing controversy surrounding his involvement in sports, specifically hockey.
