Dalhousie dentistry student breaks silence over scandal

WARNING: Story contains strong language

One of the men involved in the DDS Gentlemen's Club has broken his silence in an interview with the Chronicle Herald newspaper.

Ryan Millet appears in an edited video on the paper's website, talking about his role in the group.

The interview appears to have been recorded in the presence of his lawyer, who the Herald identifies as Bruce MacIntosh.

• The Chronicle Herald story on Millet: "Dentistry student: Facebook post was 'hateful, sexualized, violent attack'"

Ryan Millet's name and photo are among 13 male names that appear on Facebook screen shots provided to CBC News in December. His photo appears in the screen shots as well.

Millet tells the Herald the Facebook group was created "during our first week in school," in 2011. He said he was added to the group, rather than joining.

He describes most of the posts as "foolish."

But he also refers to one in which the men vote on which classmate to have hate-sex with, describing that as, "extreme inappropriateness and disturbing in nature." He says a few of the men were, "very upset, disturbed by the post. We felt like the guys who posted it would come to their senses within minutes."

"That post upset me quite a bit," he says.

In the excerpts provided to CBC Newsin December, it's clear someone in the group is trying to persuade his classmates to get out in front of the looming scandal.

"GUYS!! RED F---ING ALERT!!!!!" reads one message."Apparently one of the ladies has seen or heard something about the recent posts in the Gentleman's. We have to get rid of the evidence. Someone leaked it. Clean up the posts gentlemen."

The name on the screen grab is "Ryan." But in an email to CBC News late Sunday night, Millet said he didn't author that post.

"That red alert post was a copy and past [sic] of a comment from another group member that was a private message me sending it to the person who took it to administration."

Millet's name and avatar are attached to another screen grab obtained by CBC in December. In that, he agrees with a classmate that, "an apology would sit well in our favour."

In the video posted by the Chronicle Herald Sunday, Millet says he wrote an apology letter to his classmates, which the newspaper has obtained.

Millet says he's had "positive responses" to the letter from female classmates as well as some of the men he "turned in."

The Chronicle Herald identifies Millet as the sole member of the Gentleman's Group who has decided not to participate in the university's restorative justice process.

Dalhousie University has previously said 12 of 13 men are participating.

Millet's lawyer has declined CBC's requests for an interview.