Former University of King's College professor pleads not guilty to sex assault

A former professor at the University of King's College and Dalhousie University has pleaded not guilty to a historical sexual assault charge.

The lawyer for Wayne John Hankey, 76, entered a plea of not guilty during an appearance in Nova Scotia provincial court Friday afternoon.

Hankey has asked for a trial by judge alone. The one-day trial is set for next February.

Halifax Regional Police charged Hankey last month. The charge relates to an incident in student housing on the King's campus in 1988.

Hankey was an employee of King's at the time. The alleged victim is a man.

The incident wasn't reported to police until last September.

Following the charge, the university told students, staff and faculty that it would conduct an independent review.

"It is important to state that the university recognizes sexualized violence as a serious issue in society and at King's and we understand it harms members of our college community in many ways," the message from university president William Lahey noted.

The message said Hankey retired from King's in 2015.

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