Febuary 3, 1993

Other News |
Sexual Harassment in
Douglas College Athietics

the Other Press

 

 

Administration Plans to
Re-Draft Safety Policy

Manager.

 

 

an important issue being shrugged off by both sides

 

by Elaine Leong

 

An incident of sexual
harrassment involving a BCIT
Athletics coach and a female
Douglas College athlete has raised
many questions but no-one is
answering. = _

Following a league game
[sport unknown], between Douglas
and BCIT, the BCIT coach
“apparantly”made a sexually
related remark to the female athlete.

According to -Lou Hayes,
Douglas College’s Athletics
Director,”It was an inappropriate
comment, a rude comment, made
to one of our athletes.”

Hayes claims as soon as she
had heard of the incident, she
immediately took action to file a
demand for a “formal apology”
from the BCIT coach.

Jim Mitchell, BCIT Athletics
Director, stated that the “formal
apology” had already been sent
and he felt good about the quick
action taken in dealing with the
incident.

“I say that as a positive
statement. The situation was dealt
with to the satisfaction of both
colleges.”

“ It’s misfortunate that
something like this happened,” he
added.

Mitchell also addded freely
that he felt there was no malicious
intent involved in the statement
made to the Douglas athlete.

Hayes felt too much was being
made of the issue. Hayes said that

this issue was not a big deal
saying,” It’s a little thing!”

Hayes also added ,”The matter
is closed.”

Both Betty Lou Hayes and Jim
Mitchell would not release the name

 

of the BCIT coach or the name of the
sport involved. Both Athletic
Directors would not discuss the
particulrs of the statement and were
reluctant to discuss the incident
more specifically.

Black Law Students Form
Association To End Racism

 

by Avril George

TORONTO (CUP) — Black law
students across Canada formed a
national association last summer to
put an end to systemic racism
within the legal profession.

The Black Law Students
Association of Canada was created
to provide support and a forum for
addressing issues of interest to Black
law students. Last
summer, association
representatives presented
their demands to the
Toronto Mayor’s
Committee on
Community and Race
Relations.

Among their demands
was a call for an end to
racism in the legal
profession. Members
asked the Council of Law
Deans to improve present
curricula to address the
issue of race and its impact
on the law.

The students asked the
council to promote hiring
law professors of African
descent, encourage law
firms and corporations to
increase hiring of Blacks
and other minority groups
while encouraging law
schools to develop
programs for visible minority
students.

The student group’s demands
were endorsed last summer.

Rudy Clarke, a York University
articling student and external affairs
officer for the organization, said
members are pleased with the
endorsement.

 

“The support of the Mayor's
Committee and various law
societies, provides a strong backing
for our cause,” he said.

The association said systemic
racism runs rampant throughout the
legal profession. “Unavoidable
obstacles for Blacks, both male and
female, who have chosen law as a
career continue,” the group’s first
newsletter says.

“Unavoidable
obstacles for
Blacks, both
male and
female, who

have chosen
law asa
career
continue"

 

And obstacles such as certain
admission requirements favour
privileged Canadians, placing an
unfair burden on those without the
means to attain such advantages, the
newsletter continues.

Jim MacPherson, Dean of York
University’s Osgoode Hall Law
School, says all schools are doing
their best to improve the recruitment

of professors of minority groups.

“There are new courses that focus
on just racism,” said MacPherson,
“Law Deans of Ontario are working
to try and develop programs that
result in large numbers of minority
students getting articling and
permanent jobs.”

Allan Hutchinson, chair of both
Osgoode’s Admissions and Equality
committees, is also professor of the
course Racism and Law at
the school, which started
this year. In the class of 325
students, 65 are seen as
visible minorities.
Hutchinson said there is a
race problem at Osgoode as
there is throughout York
University.

It is good that racism
does show itself, because it
makes people aware of its
presence, he said.

“Osgoode is presently
grappling with the
problem,” said Hutchinson.

The biggest step to
improvement is to have
admissions policies that will
diversify law schools, he
added.

As the number of
minority students increases,
demand is placed on the
law school to expand its
curriculum to reflect
minority interests. The measures
taken show signs of effectiveness, he
said.

Besides the new course, Osgoode
is seeking other ways to change its
curriculum. “Although it is not a
complete success,” said Hutchinson,

“itis a beginning.”

 

by Christopher MacLaren

 

Administrators met last
week to begin addressing and
reviewing issues “concerning
inappropriate conduct/safety...”
at Douglas College.

According to a memo
released by Terry Leonard,
Director of Facility Services,
Administrators plan to review
and re-draft policies relating to
“user conduct A02.09.01
Sexual/Personal Harrassment;
A10.01.03 Student User
Conduct; and A17.01.02
Student6/Employee Relations...
to better deal with the issues in
today’s enviroment,” and to
“promote campus safety.”

“We are looking at the
three policies in terms of re-
writing them all and making
them easier to follow. We are
looking at safety on campus and
we are looking at educating the
people about the policies that
we do have on site,” said Pat
Thomasson, Site Sevices

Leonard added ” we are
looking, reviewing, re-drafting
and renewing basically.”

Thomasson also said that
Administration is looking for
student input to identify and
address issues concerning public
safety on campus.

“We are trying to get input
on areas where people see that
there are problems and then get
together with the student
representation.”

Leonard also added that

they hoped for “major
awareness” amongst the
students.

The College P.D. Consultant
has arranged two seminars on
dealing with harrassment which
will be held on February 10, 2:00
- 4:00 p.m. and February 24, 2:00
- 4:00 p.m. For more information
contact Pat Thomasson at 527-
5363.

 

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