University of Waterloo gender studies course continues a week after stabbing - Action News
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Kitchener-Waterloo

University of Waterloo gender studies course continues a week after stabbing

The University of Waterloo gender studies course resumed Wednesday a week after a professor and two students were stabbed.

Students will have a say about safety measures theyd like to see

People walk past police cars at the University of Waterloo.
People walk past police cars at the University of Waterloo on June 28 after officers were called to campus for reports of a stabbing. Three people were taken to hospital. A man has been charged. (Aastha Shetty/CBC)

A University of Waterloo gender studiescourse that was the target ofwhat police described as a crime motivated by hate resumed on Wednesday, a week after a professor and two students were stabbed.

The professor and two students suffered non-life-threatening injuries during the attack on June28. A former student at the university has been charged.

University presidentVivek Goel told CBC Kitchener-Waterloo's The Morning Edition thatstudents in thecourse were expected to discuss the safety measures they'd like to see "to move forward in a comfortable manner"when they met Wednesday.

Dr, Vivek Goel begins his five-year term on July 1 as University of Waterloo president and vice-chancellor.
Vivek Goel, president of the University of Waterloo, said students will be consulted regarding the safety measures they'd like to see at the school. (University of Waterloo)

Goel said students have the option to continue with the course or may be accommodated if they decide not to.

The Waterloo Regional Police Service (WRPS) said the class was targeted because of the subject matter being taught.

"We believe this was a targeted specific attack related to gender expression and gender identity," Chief Mark Crowellsaid at a press conference Thursday.

Crowell said he believed the2SLGBTQ+ community "was targeted broadly and at large here."

"We don't believe that the individuals themselves were targeted for that purpose but we believe that the class subject was of interest to the suspect.," he said.

A close up portrait of a police officer.
WRPS Chief Mark Crowell said during a press conference last week that police believe the accused targeted the class because of the content being taught. (Carmen Groleau/CBC)

Campus-wide change

Campus-wide changes are anticipated, too, Goel said. There will be consultations with the students across the university about possible safety measures they'd like to see, he said.

"There are security measures that are being suggested that we can undertake," he said. "But we also have to consider what the consequences of those are, particularly in light of our mission, which is free expression, open, inclusion many values that we hold very dear."

He said that in establishing new measures, there's the danger of creating situations where some marginalized groups could be victimized in different ways.

"If we create an environment that has locked buildings, locked doors, security cameras everywhere, it's going to create an environment that will not be what we desire to beand will potentially have adverse consequences for many of the members of the community that might feel most vulnerable as well," Goel said.

"In order to do some of the things, like locked doors, we'll have to have security badgesand someone will need to check those security badges and there's the potential for people to be discriminated based on who gets asked to show their badge."