UBCAccountable, Stop Making Our Work Harder

I sign this letter as a student of writing. I want to become a writer. I dream of becoming a writer, and as a survivor of sexual violence, this is the only dream I have left. I am in the process of submitting my applications to Creative Writing programs across Canada and in the US, and part of me is afraid of what signing this letter will do to me, to my name, to my ability to write, and to my voice. And part of me is tired of living with fear. And so the first thing I will do with my voice will be to add my name to this letter: Shullie Solanis.

I have little profile as a writer. I sign this letter with some anxiety: will my name here affect me? Will one of the UBC Signatories be a judge or editor, and will my signature on this petition be held against me? That feeling of intimidation is the result of the UBCAccountable Open Letter. This is a fraction of the anxiety felt by students.... I work with young people who have been impacted by trauma. I studied creative writing at a Canadian university. I teach at a Canadian university now. Intimate relationships, artistic and otherwise, happen in creative writing programs -- perhaps more than in other programs, for writing is so close to the heart, the self, the core. I quote Maggie Helwig, "The person with the greater power has the duty to maintain boundaries, regardless of other circumstances." Professors and mentors, you have emotional power and practical power. Do not date your students. Can't believe I actually have to say that out loud.

I have little profile as a writer. I sign this letter with some anxiety: will my name here affect me? Will one of the UBC Signatories be a judge or editor, and will my signature on this petition be held against me? That feeling of intimidation is the result of the UBCAccountable Open Letter. This is must be a fraction of the anxiety felt by students.... I work with young people who have been impacted by trauma. I studied creative writing at a Canadian university. I teach at a Canadian university now. Intimate relationships, artistic and otherwise, happen in creative writing programs -- perhaps more than in other programs, for writing is so close to the heart, the self, the core. I quote Maggie Helwig, "The person with the greater power has the duty to maintain boundaries, regardless of other circumstances." Professors and mentors, you have emotional power and practical power. Do not date your students. Can't believe I actually have to say that out loud.

Society’s default position in a ‘he said-she said’ sexual harassment case is to believe what he said and dump what she said into the garbage. That so many Canadian authors fell into that trap and formed a national literary block against the complainants is astonishing.

How long before UBC accepts responsibility for the abuse of women?

Thank you for making this happen. As you know, like so many of us, especially those of us who have come through sexual violence or still trying to find a way through (I remember what a particular teacher did to me when I was child growing up in Guyana), that letter stung. As someone who holds many of the signatories of that letter in the highest regard, I remain perplexed and somewhat dazed. But then again it seems as if it has been that kind of year. I just always thought the artists would have us in their embrace. That the poets and writers would have us. I guess I am just a stupid idealist. But I see THIS letter as the responsible civil corrective. So, again, please know how important this has been to all of us and know how much it means. In solidarity.

I was shocked when I read the letter sent by some of Canada's esteemed authors. I was shocked because they seemed not to know how women who are sexually violated are then badly treated by the law. And students, who we are there to protect, are often treated more unfairly. I certainly hope that UBC will look more closely at how they handle these problems.

Having read and digested the implications of "An Open Letter To UBC: Steven Galloway’s Right To Due Process", it is clear the authors go beyond criticizing a problematic and mismanaged process at UBC. The blind defence of professor Galloway, to the exclusion of equal empathy and defence of the complainants sends the wrong message: if you complain about sexual and physical assault, the administration will so politicize the process as to demean any complainant.

Thank you so much to everyone who has signed and commented. Please keep sharing. We have been requesting UBCAccountable read and address our concerns. In the next day or so as we sense the signatures numbers stabilizing we will send them the petition in hard copy and digitally. It is truly buoying to see this support for workers and for students, for complainants and respondents. Thank you!

Without any concern whatsoever for the complainants in this case and displaying an almost incomprehensible ignorance of how sexual assault complainants are routinely vilified in Canadian courts, the open letter from some Canadian authors who put forward their good characters as some kind of de facto confirmation of Mr. Galloway's character, must be resisted. Like many universities UBC has taken pains to ignore complaints of sexual harassment, assault and misconduct towards female students in the past and the open letter will only encourage that to continue instead of encouraging UBC and other institutions to improve their policies and grievance processes, and make clearer that teacher's contractual obligations to ethical conduct towards students includes the teacher's sexual conduct. That behaviour has an impact on other students, especially in a small workshop environment like a creative writing program where any favouritism is likely to show up fairly obviously. Those students have paid a very high price in grants and loans to attend these programs; the teachers' focus should be on the students' work and create a fair, equitable and ethical atmosphere in the classroom.

Sex and sexuality educator

I totally support due process for workers facing sexual assault complaints, but the letter from Canadian authors about Steven Galloway goes about things the wrong way. To simply dismiss a sexual assault complaint as "unsubstantiated" displays ignorance of how sexual assault happens and how it is investigated, on campus and in general. Many sexual assaults play out in ways that the criminal justice system (and complaints procedures that ape the process of the criminal justice system) is not designed to address. But that doesn't make it OK, and it doesn't mean collective agreements, university sexual violence policies or codes of conduct haven't been violated. It doesn't mean we have to stand back in silence while university professors assault their students, or make it necessary to subject complainants to the court of public opinion, as the recent demand for "transparency" suggests. Do university sexual violence policies and grievance processes need to be reformed? Yes. Absolutely. But reform must be undertaken by those who are not only well-informed about sexual violence in university settings, but on the front lines of fighting it and among those victimized by it.

UBC needs to have clear, transparent and consistent approaches to dealing with complaints against teachers, especially those with allegations of sexual misconduct and inappropriate relationships between teachers and students (regardless of age).

There is much work to be done in effectively addressing sexual assault in Canada. First step is to never allow a sexual assault case to fall beholden to public opinion, nor breach our laws that protect privacy and dignity for all. Please do not work against this goal.

Excellent letter.

Let the processes in place begin.

This underscores the stark reality of why so many sexual assaults and harassment go unreported: prominent, influential men in a given community always get the support and the victims are always torn to shreds. Because fame/popularity/influence and talent seem to mean they couldn't possible engage in such nefarious behaviour...

The 'open letter' is damaging and helps perpetuate an atmosphere of silence and fear.

I believe you.

USA