CANADA
Vancouver Sun
TRACY SHERLOCK
The lone Aboriginal member of a committee struck to create a sexual assault policy for the University of B.C. has resigned over the reinstatement of John Furlong as the keynote speaker at an athletics fundraising event.
Daniel Justice, the First Nations and Indigenous Studies chair and professor at UBC, said in his resignation letter that the decision to reinstate Furlong undermines the work he and the university are doing to build relationships with Indigenous people.
“There were many responsible and compassionate ways this matter might have been handled that would not have once again silenced or erased the abuse allegations of dozens of people from the Lake Babine First Nation — some of whom I understand have contacted your office and have received no response — but the result of UBC press releases has been to do precisely that,” Justice said in his resignation letter to UBC president Santa Ono. “(A)fter consultation with members of my community and significant reflection, my priority must be to support under-represented Indigenous voices on these matters, and I believe that a viable and legitimate survivor-centred approach to sexual assault cannot stand with integrity alongside this deeply troubling action. At least not for me.”
UBC issued a short statement in response to Justice’s resignation.
“We respect Dr. Justice’s decision to resign from the committee and we thank him for his hard work on the committee,” UBC said in a statement.
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