Dozens of women plan class action lawsuit against Toronto club promoter, several nightlife companies | CBC News

Dozens of women have come forward with allegations of negligence by some of the biggest companies in Toronto’s nightlife industry in connection to decades of alleged abuse by a well-known club promoter, according to a Canadian advocacy organization for survivors of abuse. 

End Violence Everywhere (EVE) has announced a proposed class action lawsuit against what it says are some of “the most powerful companies” that own and operate bars, restaurants and nightclubs throughout the city — companies it alleges “knowingly” allowed convicted sex offender Mark Holland to work at their venues despite the risk they say he posed to vulnerable women. 

A draft of EVE’s class action lawsuit seen by CBC News specifically names Holland as well as Honeycomb Hospitality, Lobby, INK Entertainment and Uniq Hospitality. The suit alleges the companies worked with Holland “despite knowledge or constructive knowledge of his past misconduct,” said the draft lawsuit. 

“Over the span of nearly two decades, numerous women have reported being sexually assaulted, drugged, or otherwise harmed by Mark Holland who was employed as a promoter at venues owned or operated by the Respondent companies,” reads the draft lawsuit.

“These incidents followed a consistent pattern: victims were often approached in VIP areas or at after-parties, supplied with alcohol or drugs, and then assaulted in secluded areas of the establishments or affiliated residences.”

But the proposed lawsuit could be dropped if companies named in it publicly apologize, take accountability and sign an agreement with EVE by Dec. 1, the organization’s founder, Cait Alexander, said at a news conference Monday. 

“So many of us have been awake for decades to the abuses perpetrated by a significant share of promoters, club owners and nightlife operators in Toronto,” she said. 

“The hospitality groups have been hospitable to convicted criminals, supporters and enablers of violent serial offenders, like Holland, and they have been under the illusion that they are innocent bystanders in these sexual assaults. They most certainly are not.”

Alexander adds approximately 30 women who are part of the lawsuit allege abuse related to Holland, while another “20 plus” have come forward with allegations against others that the companies allowed into their venues — some of whom, she said, have already been charged with sexual assault.

The goal of the lawsuit, said Alexander, is to ban Holland from working in the industry and implement policies to prevent convicted sex offenders from entering venues owned by the respondent companies. 

Honeycomb Hospitality told CBC News that it did “not have a comment at this time.”

CBC News also reached out to Lobby, INK Entertainment and Uniq Hospitality for comment on Monday and Wednesday, but did not receive a response. 

The draft lawsuit also calls on the companies to pay “applicants damages for sexual battery, punitive damage; pain and suffering, emotional trauma and psychological harm” for an amount to be determined prior to a hearing on the case. 

Lawyer Kathryn Marshall, who will be representing EVE in the possible lawsuit, said businesses turned “their clubs into a hunting ground for a predator” and did not care about past misconduct due to “millions of dollars” they were making through Holland’s promotions.

“This case is proof that the nightlife industry needs a major policy overhaul to protect the women who enter their premises,” said Marshall. “This is really a dirty secret of the industry that hasn’t been addressed.”

Allegations against Holland date back to late 1990s: advocacy group

Work on the proposed lawsuit began after Holland was charged by Toronto police for sexual assault in August this year, Alexander said. 

In spite of those charges and being out on bail, Alexander said Holland was allegedly back working in the clubs soon after he was released. Randall Barrs, Holland’s defence lawyer, told CBC News Holland’s bail conditions do not restrict where he can work. 

When Alexander posted about Holland’s latest charges on social media, she said she received “thousands of messages” in her inbox. 

The messages contained stories from victims of sexual assault in Toronto’s nightlife scene, from which Alexander said she compiled a spreadsheet of over 50 victims from the late 1990s to 2025, “four to five” alleged perpetrators of assault, including Holland, and several “supporters” who allegedly allowed the accused to continue working in the industry. 

According to Toronto police, Holland was charged with three counts of sexual assault and one count of disobeying a lawful order of the court in August 2025. 

Barrs acknowledged other historic allegations against Holland and said his client “was acquitted of all those charges.”

In 2016, Holland was also charged with sexually assaulting an 18-year-old woman at a photo shoot, according to a Toronto police news release. Barrs said Holland was acquitted of this charge in court.

Police said at the time that Holland may have had other victims, which eventually led to four women coming forward and four additional charges being laid for alleged sexual assaults that took place between 1994 and 2014. 

Two of those allegations were the subject of a court case in 2020 against Holland, according to documents provided by EVE to CBC News. He was found guilty of one of those sexual assault charges, in connection with an incident in 2008 where a woman was assaulted from behind on a stairwell of a nightclub.

After repeated delays due to the COVID-19 pandemic, Holland’s sentencing for that 2020 conviction took place in 2022. He was sentenced to 20 years on the sex offender registry and eight months of conditional imprisonment in the community, which included house arrest.

Barrs said Holland was acquitted of two of the other historic allegations and the fourth was reduced to a common assault charge, which his client resolved by signing a peace bond. 

At the news conference Monday, Marshall said Holland was later rehired by the same club where the sexual assault he was convicted of took place.

Barrs said in a statement to CBC News that EVE should wait for the outcome of a trial before they target and destroy someone’s life.

He said current “negative remarks” and publicity have cost Holland his job and the right to a fair trial in his ongoing criminal case. 

“In this country we have a presumption of innocence. As far as Mr. Holland is concerned, he has one sexual assault conviction,” said Barrs, adding the appeal of the conviction was denied. 

“He’s now unemployed, and they continue to make him the poster boy for their agenda.”

Holland got ‘nothing more than a slap on the wrist’: victim

Two women who allege they were assaulted by Holland spoke out at the news conference on Monday and are taking part in the proposed lawsuit. The women who spoke and those in the proposed action were not named.

One woman tearfully alleged she was assaulted by Holland while modelling at a professional photoshoot in 2016. 

“Little did I know the photographer was a known sex offender,” she said, adding her case was later dismissed in the courts. 

Those years of trauma came rushing back, said the woman, when she learned of Holland’s latest charges.

“I am sad and heartbroken to see Mark Holland is still out there hurting more women and still has people enabling his disgusting behavior,” she said. “Why are the Mark Hollands of the world more protected than the victims?”

A second woman at the news conference spoke out about an alleged assault by Holland nearly 18 years ago. She said after moving back to the city this year, she was shocked to hear rumours he was still working in the nightlife industry.

She said the stories of the women coming forward highlight the systemic failures that allowed sexual predators to prey on women for decades. 

“Imagine my shock and anger to learn that it was true that he was still out there assaulting women, despite the multitude of previous charges, the trials and conviction, despite decades of women coming forward,” she said, adding Holland was able to walk away “with nothing more than a slap on the wrist.”

“People still have to scream the truth online because he’s had the opportunity to hide the fact that he is a tried, convicted, registered sex offender.”