Demonstrators demand University of Alberta reform sexual-assault appeal hearing process

A group of students and faculty membersat the University of Alberta is demandingadministration reform how it treats sexual assault cases, saying the university has dragged its feet on key parts of a 2016 policy review.

About 40demonstrators gathered Fridayafternoonin Lister Centre, where university administrators were holding a summit.

Sam Pearson, director of the University of Alberta Sexual Assault Centre, presented a list of demands, calling onadministrationto reform the University Appeal Board.

"Any continued inaction on this issue would throw away all of the work so many of us have put into managing the institution's response to sexual violence and makes us non-compliant with ourown sexual violence policy," Pearson said.

• More than 40 incidents of sexual assault reported to U of A staff in 2015-2016
• Support for sexual assault victims key, U of A report says

If an investigation by the university discipline officer finds a student has violated the code of conduct, including in cases of sexual assault and harassment, the student can appeal the decision or sanctions to the three-person board. The board is chaired by a faculty member; the other two members are two students.

Pearson said there is a lack of training for those members, an issue noted in the university's January 2016 sexual-assault policy review.

'Hearings treated like criminal proceedings'

While the appeals process is important,the hearings are treated like criminal proceedings and unnecessarily retry sexual assault cases, she said.

Survivors often face intense questioning from criminal defence lawyerswhile their attacker looks on, Pearson said.

Students protest U of A's sexual misconduct procedures

6 years ago

Duration 0:52

Sam Pearson, director of the campus sexual assault centre, demands changes to how the university deals with sexual assault. Deputy provost Wendy Rodgers responds.

Pearson's voice trembled as she read from a statement given by a student who was sexually assaulted andwent through the appeals process.

"Aside from the assault itself, the hearing was the most humiliating and degrading experience of my life," she read.

"I chose this process because I felt the criminal justice system would do nothing to support me and would only victimized me further. I felt I had a better chance of being supported and believed by my own university. This was not the case."

Pearson said the hearings amountto untrained community members rehashing graphic details of sexual assault in front of survivors, who don't have access to proper emotional support.

The appeals board, she said, should only review whether certain evidence was absent or not adequately considered, or whether bias played a part in the sanctions.

Demands include training

The list of demands calls on university administration to immediately suspend appealhearings related to sexual assault cases until a public review of its procedures and past decisions is complete.

It also calls on administration to institute pass/fail training for board members and ensure an advocate is present for the filing of all complaints.

"I, for one, can't support one more survivor in reporting their experience to the university until I'm certain that there's no chance they're going to have to interact with a process that, unquestionably, degrades and dehumanizes them at the end of it," Pearson said.

The university's deputy provost, Wendy Rogers, addressed demonstrators Fridaypledging that administration would review the demands and immediately put in place sexual violence training.

"We would like to stay a little bit ahead of some of these issues. We didn't in this case and we're going to fix that," Rogers said.

In an interview with CBC News, Rogers said the university would also speed up a full review of the student code of behaviour and appeals board policy, which she saidhadbeen underway for the past year.

"Our community is telling us that we need to respond more quickly, so I'm receiving that message and we are prepared to move ahead on it," she said.

Rogers said administration would meet in the next two weeks to come up with a plan to address the demands and develop a consultation process with the community.