Daniel Cormier, left, and Serge D'arcy say they suffered physical and sexual abuse at the hands of staff at the Montreal school for the deaf and mute, now known as the Raymond-Dewar Institute. (CBC)

A man who says he was abused while he was a student at a Montreal school for the deaf is seeking permission to launch a class action lawsuit against the institution and the priests who ran it.

Court documents filed Wednesday on behalf of Serge D'arcy outline the abuse he alleges he suffered at the Montreal institute for the deaf and mute between 1964 and 1972.

Both the school, now known as the Raymond-Dewar Institute, and the Clerics of St. Viateur are named as defendants in the lawsuit tabled before the Quebec Superior Court.

According to the documents, D'arcy claims he suffered physical and sexual abuse at the hands of four staff members at the institute, starting one year after he began attending the school at the age of eight.

The situation was exacerbated by his deafness and a learning disability, because of his lack of ability to communicate, the document said.

The documents claim the abuse left D'arcy feeling isolated, afraid and embarrassed, ultimately driving him to drug and alcohol abuse later in life. He even attempted suicide on three separate occasions, the document said.

D'arcy is not alone.

Another former student at the school, Daniel Cormier, claims he was also a victim of abuse.

The two men say they know of at least 20 others willing to join the lawsuit, which is seeking $600,000 in damages.

But, speaking through an interpreter, both men said the dispute is not about the money.

"I want to fight the establishment until we win this pursuit because I know that a lot of people want to do [it] but they don't all feel comfortable to do so," said Cormier, who is also deaf.

Neither the Raymond-Dewar Institute nor the Clerics of St. Viateur responded to CBC requests for comment.