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Men in Dalhousie dentistry scandal to take
separate classes as external investigation st

Rachel Ward

CUP Labour Bureau Chief :

D alhousie University
president Richard

Florizone announced January
g that 13 male dentistry
students have been barred
from attending regular classes.
The students were members
of a Facebook group in which
some posted misogynistic and

sexually explicit comments. The
group was banned Monday from :

degree-required clinical work.

“No woman who has been
harmed by this will be sitting
in a class next to one of the
Facebook page members,” said
Florizone in a press conference
that afternoon.

Those men have been
barred from regular classes, but

may take classes remotely or ina

separate on-campus classroom.
When questioned, Florizone
did not explain the logistics of
this decision.

Florizone also announced

the school has commissioned an one of the informal options

: in the sexual harassment

: policy. Fourteen women and

: 12 men are taking part, said

: Florizone at the January 9 press
: conference.

external task force to assess the
dentistry department’s culture
and policy.

The revelations mid-
December of misogynistic
Facebook posts, sometimes
specifically naming female
dentistry students, shook the
Dalhousie community. Some
expressed outrage through
the social media hashtag
#DalhousieHatesWomen,

a public statement and

an online petition to expel
the men, which nearly 50,000
people signed.

The posts from the private
Facebook group, “2015 DDS
Gentlemen’s Club,” were made
public by CBC and Halifax’s
the Coast. They show male
dentistry students voted on
which female student to have
“hate sex” with. Members also
joked about getting women

nitrous oxide.

One man not
participating in
restorative justice
process

The school is undertaking a
restorative justice process,

Shih issue:
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And more!

7

“T understand the 13th

: elected not to take part,” he
: said, refusing to explain further.

All men involved,

including “the 13th,’ will

: be assessed individually by

: an internal committee of

: dentistry professors called

: the Academic Standard Class

: Committee (ASCC). This is

: meant, according the Dalhousie
: website, to determine whether

: the students meet professional

: standards.

At the press conference,

Florizone confirmed the Royal

: College of Dental Surgeons

: of Ontario had asked for the

: names of the 13 to be released,

: which Florizone refused, citing
unconscious with chloroform or : privacy reasons. Several other
provincial organizations have

: joined the call by speaking with
: media outlets.

Florizone also said he

did not know how many of

: 14 women in the restorative

: justice process had been

: named on the Facebook page.
: Four dentistry students wrote

(¥ Douglas announces Kathy Denton as college president

a letter three days earlier to

: say they disapproved of the

: process and felt pressured

: into participating. Florizone

: released a statement saying

: the school is dedicated to just
: process.

“We care about everyone

who has been harmed in this,

: even if they haven't chosen

: to take part,” said Florizone.

: “What we’re hoping is that

: some of the other measures

: we've announced today, and

: this week—the suspension, the
: work of the ASCC, the broader

: task force—starts to meet some
: of their needs just as well.”

: The school has yet to respond
: to a formal complaint filed
December 21 by four faculty

: members, Francoise Baylis,
Jocelyn Downie, Brian Noble,
: and Jacqueline Warwick.

: The group said it wants a

: formal investigation as the
women impacted can remain
; anonymous and the findings,
: including a clear decision on

: guilt, will be made public.

: Florizone said the school is

: “working hard on” responding

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: and will make another
> announcement.

The faculty group said

: it worries about the lack of
: a formal investigation to :
: identify those involved, beyond :
: simply saying 13 students were
: members. It also said nothing
: has been done to protect the

: reputations of male students

: not involved but about to
graduate.

“What steps will the

: University take to ensure

: that all men who were

: involved in the Facebook

: group are identified and held
: accountable through various
institutional processes?”

Faculty complaint yet to :

: be addressed

The faculty group, in the

: statement, said it supports

: the external investigation in

: the form of a presidential task :
: force and headed by University :
: of Ottawa professor Constance
: Barkhouse. It wants a broader
review, as well. “The President
: has clearly listened and

: responded, at least in part.”

Barkhouse will lead the Task
Force on Misogyny, Sexism,
: and Homophobia in Dalhousie

arts

a

 

 

University Faculty of Dentistry,
: a group of herself and two

: other members, which she will
: choose with the president.

: Dalhousie chose Barkhouse,

said the release, because of her

extensive background working
: on gender equality.

The investigation

will review the dentistry

: school only, by considering

: documents belonging to

: the university, interviews

: with people involved, and

: submissions from dentistry

: students and faculty, according
: to the terms of reference.

Goals include answering

questions such as when the

: Facebook group was created

: and whether others have ever
: existed, what policies exist

: regarding misogyny, sexism

and homophobia and what

training students and faculty
: receive. Missing from the list
: is analysis of the individuals’
: involvement.

The task force is scheduled

to wrap up June 30 with two
: University commissions :
: external task force

reports on policy change

: recommendations for each

: the dentistry school and the
: broader university. Florizone
: said results will be made

: public.