Collge de Maisonneuve teachers' union wants action over alleged library threats

The Collge de Maisonneuve's teachers' union wants the administration to intervene, claiming its employees have been the subject of threats from students in the library.

The CEGEP's administration says the library is noisy but denies the claim of students threatening teachers.

Line Lgar, the college's spokesperson,says teachers have to intervene and ask students to lower their voices.

"It's quite loud, more than we would like for a library," said Lgar.

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A large study space where students can work together is located on the fifth floor of the library where some of the confrontations between teachers and students have been taking place.

"Those employees are sometimes the subject of insults and can sometimes be told rude things but we're not talking about threats," Lgar said.

"If there were threats made to college employees, they know they can come to the administration and we will take matters into our own hands."

But Benoit Lacoursire, the union's president, says teachers have clearly been subject to threats.He says there have also beenvulgar insults, adding that students outnumber employees.

A violent altercation

Tension has been rising at the college for several months, including a conflict in the college's library thatturned violent in December 2015.

Montreal police say two students were beaten up by a group of about 10 people in the college's parking lot on the evening of Dec. 7 of that year.

The police report states that two students, 23 and 25, hadbruises and were threatened with a knife.

"It's an isolated incident," Lgar said.

She added that teams of security guards are stationed throughout the college, including the library.

"We are very safe," shesaid.

'It takes sanctions'

Lacoursiresays the college needs to re-arrange the space and to apply its own rules.

"There is a policy to fight harassment at the college," saidLacoursire.

Warnings are not enough,Lacoursire added.

"It takes sanctions. It can go as far as suspension from the college."

Lgarsaid the college has two committees dedicated to re-arranging the study space on the fifth floorand also looking into the claims made by teachers.