© 2021 Nelligan Law. A restorative justice process that was the university's first response to the incident was supposed to begin on Monday. Dr. Baylis said the group was concerned that not all students affected had wanted the informal process. This post considers whether Dalhousie “got it right” when handling its response to the incident, and will focus on the principles of natural justice and restorative justice in the context of administrative disciplinary measures in University settings. Opinion. More recently in 2010, an Ontario Superior Court of Justice, Divisional Court decision Frederick Zhang v. The University of Western Ontario involved an unsuccessful judicial review from a decision of the University Western Ontario Discipline Appeal Committee. Avoid the use of toxic and offensive language. 1:04. Stephen Kimber. Get directions, reviews and information for Dalhousie Dentistry Faculty in Halifax, NS. 6 years ago Video. Dalhousie derives its authority to discipline students through its enacting statute, Section 7 of Chapter 24 of the Acts of 1863, an Act for the Registration and Support of Dalhousie College, as well as from the University’s constitution and its policies. Nelligan Law is the name and brand under which the members of Nelligan O’Brien Payne LLP provide legal services. Constance Backhouse spoke with CBC about her thoughts on the scandal. Dalhousie University was engulfed in controversy on Monday after it announced the suspension of 13 male dentistry students over misogynistic comments on Facebook that came to light almost a month ago. As part of that process, female students targeted by the comments were sent questionnaires on Dec. 19 asking what remedies they would recommend. Some information in it may no longer be current. Welcome to The Globe and Mail’s comment community. This field is for validation purposes and should be left unchanged. Interviews are structured and conducted at the Faculty of Dentistry by 2 dentists and last 40 minutes. While there were media reports about the comments being brought to the University’s attention as early as summer 2014, the University clarified that the issue addressed by the HREHP at that time was unrelated to the Facebook comments. Non-subscribers can read and sort comments but will not be able to engage with them in any way. Faculty of Dentistry: Our Commitment to Change. Because of the potential for serious consequences for all of the parties involved, any action taken in relation to the Facebook comments by Dalhousie must follow a fair process, and the appropriateness of the University’s response depends on its policies. The misogynistic comments posted on Facebook earlier this year by male dentistry students at Dalhousie University represent but one example of … ON, ", The first of these initiatives was a Presidential Task Force on Misogyny, Sexism, and Homophobia in the Dalhousie Faculty of Dentistry, established on January 9, 2015, and led by University of Ottawa law professor Constance Backhouse. The university announced on Monday morning that the men are suspended from clinical activities while an academic committee considers further penalties, such as academic suspension or expulsion. It also minimizes the risk of further harassment, reduces the impact and strain of the process on the parties involved, avoids prejudice to either party through loss of evidence, and reduces reputational risk. Calling itself the “Class of DDS 2015 Gentlemen's Club”, some members of the group made disturbing and demeaning comments about female classmates. Dalhousie's dentistry crisis beyond the media spotlight and PR spin . No student can receive a DDS degree from Dalhousie without meeting both academic requirements and professional standards. This article was published more than 6 years ago. Dalhousie Dentistry kapak fotoğrafını güncelledi. The task force has a broad mandate to investigate the culture, practices and policies within the Faculty of Dentistry to determine if a systemic culture of discrimination exists within the Faculty, and if so take steps to eliminate it. Dalhousie University (commonly known as Dal) is a public research university in Nova Scotia, Canada, with three campuses in Halifax, a fourth in Bible Hill, and medical teaching facilities in Saint John, New Brunswick.Dalhousie offers more than 4,000 courses, and 180 degree programs in twelve undergraduate, graduate, and professional faculties. Dr. Creaser obtained his Doctor of Dental Surgery from Dalhousie University in 2006. Every woman in the class was consulted individually before the decision was made and supported the conditional return. The university did not comment on where that stands now. Canada, Tel: 613-238-8080 "We as faculty made this decision to go forward for two reasons: So that no student need feel pressured to come forward themselves, and that no student feel or bear any consequences for making a complaint," said Françoise Baylis, Canada Research Chair in Bioethics and Philosophy at Dalhousie. The matter was first brought to the University’s attention on December 8, 2014 from a student who met with the university’s Human Rights, Equity and Harassment Prevention office (HREHP). The Dalhousie dentistry scandal is a scandal everyone and their dog knows about. Dalhousie Dental Clinic Renewal Campaign Champions, Nada Haidar (DDS‘97) and Rick Raftus (DDS’86), provide a tour of the renovations at the Dalhousie Faculty of Dentistry. He received a bachelor’s degree in biology from Acadia University in 2002. Even if they graduate on time this spring, the students are likely to face heavy questioning when they apply for licenses. With Thanksgiving just around the corner, we would like to call out ... some of the many teams and groups that have worked - and are continuing to work - extra hard to keep everyone in the Faculty of Dentistry and our patients safe during the pandemic. There has been considerable debate and confusion over the women of DDS2015’s support of the restorative justice process, and whether or not it should proceed. That means: If you do not see your comment posted immediately, it is being reviewed by the moderation team and may appear shortly, generally within an hour. We hope to have this fixed soon. In his initial public statement about the incident on December 17, 2014, President Richard Florizone expressed that, “this incident is particularly saddening because it shows how much more work we have to do, as an institution and a society, to create an environment free from harassment, discrimination and sexualized violence.” It also highlights the reputational risk that academic institutions like Dalhousie can face in relation to their investigative and disciplinary procedures, and brings up a variety of legal issues. University president Richard Florizone said Dalhousie decided on the suspension on Dec. 22, but waited to communicate it because it had reports some of the men were at "credible risk of potential self-harm." If you would like to write a letter to the editor, please forward it to letters@globeandmail.com. We aim to create a safe and valuable space for discussion and debate. The factors included the nature of the decision being made; the process followed in making it; the statutory scheme under which the decision-maker operates; the importance of the decision to the individuals affected; and the legitimate expectations of the person challenging the decision. Reflecting this statement, Dalhousie shared the number of sexual assaults reported on its campuses in a public statement on February 15, 2015, ‘Addressing Sexualized Violence at Dalhousie: Behind the Numbers’. Faculty members and the Academic Standards Class Committees (‘ASCCs’) have the overall responsibility for evaluating students on academic performance and professionalism, and can recommend a variety of consequences, including academic dismissal. Follow topics and authors relevant to your reading interests. Should the university not provide them, dentistry graduates from Dalhousie who apply for a license in Ontario will be asked if they have been the subject of a university complaint or inquiry, said Irwin Fefergrad, the college's registrar. We are not going to allow that burden to fall onto students.". It is also changing how dental labs, manufacturers and private practices operate. According to a report by Safety Net Canada published in 2013, 76% of criminal harassment and stalking victims in Canada are girls and women.Charges for criminal harassment are made under s. 264 of the Criminal Code, which reads: 264(1) No person shall, without lawful authority and knowing that another person is harassed or recklessly as to whether the other person is harassed, engage in conduct referred to in subsection (2) that causes that other person reasonably, in all the circumstances, to fear for their safety or the safety of anyone known to them. The University obtained a legal opinion from Sally Gomery of Norton Rose Fulbright regarding a complaint submitted under the Code by four faculty members on December 22, 2014. According to the University, there are 47 students in the 4th year dentistry class (DDS2015) to which the students involved currently belong, and of these, there are 21 female students and 26 male students. The deadline to nominate an outstanding alum […] In his initial statement about the incident, President Florizone noted that, “Following media reports on Monday, December 15, the University committed to communicating steps for addressing the allegations within the next 48 hours, while maintaining the confidentiality of the individuals involved.”. Many in the university community and outside feel restorative justice puts an undue burden on the victims. Under its terms of reference, the Task Force is to deliver a report to the President no later than June 30, 2015. The letter urged that the University accept the Code of Conduct complaint launched by four members of faculty, indicating that they had serious concerns about the impact of filing formal complaints on their future academic success within the Faculty. It’s been just over two years since a group of male students at Dalhousie University's School of Dentistry were found posting misogynistic comments online … According to the president’s public statements on December 17, 2015 and January 5, 2015, while the university recognized that not every member of DDS2015 supported or wished to take part in the process, a number of the women who came forward elected to proceed with a restorative justice process instead of a formal complaint procedure. 351 King Street East, Suite 1600, Toronto, ON Canada, M5A 0N1, Just $1.99 per week for the first 24 weeks, var select={root:".js-sub-pencil",control:".js-sub-pencil-control",open:"o-sub-pencil--open",closed:"o-sub-pencil--closed"},dom={},allowExpand=!0;function pencilInit(o){var e=arguments.length>1&&void 0!==arguments[1]&&arguments[1];select.root=o,dom.root=document.querySelector(select.root),dom.root&&(dom.control=document.querySelector(select.control),dom.control.addEventListener("click",onToggleClicked),setPanelState(e),window.addEventListener("scroll",onWindowScroll),dom.root.removeAttribute("hidden"))}function isPanelOpen(){return dom.root.classList.contains(select.open)}function setPanelState(o){dom.root.classList[o?"add":"remove"](select.open),dom.root.classList[o? remarks at the Annual Conference of the Council of Canadian Administrative Tribunals, Baker v. Canada (Minister of Citizenship and Immigration), Frederick Zhang v. The University of Western Ontario, survey on inclusiveness and diversity on campus, Media Release on Review of Material from Dalhousie University, Handbook for Police and Crown Prosecutors on Criminal Harassment, Open Statement from the Participants in Dalhousie’s Restorative Justice Process, Restorative Justice in Canada: What Victims Should Know, Presidential Task Force on Misogyny, Sexism, and Homophobia in the Dalhousie Faculty of Dentistry, Addressing Sexualized Violence at Dalhousie: Behind the Numbers. Faculty of Dentistry, Dalhousie University Carleton Campus 5981 University Avenue PO Box 15000 Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada B3H 4R2 Patient inquiries: 1.902.494.2101 Academic inquiries: 1.902.494.2824 - Please note: The staff at this phone number cannot provide information related to patient/clinic services. January 28, 2015. Short-term international practicum opportunities are not currently available for dentistry students. Upcoming Exams. This has brought challenges to law enforcement agencies and exposed some gaps in our criminal laws in addressing these types of crimes. The policies that are relevant to this incident include the Sexual Harassment Policy, the Code of Student Conduct, and the Faculty of Dentistry Academic Policy Manual for 2014-2015, which are outlined briefly below. Technology is changing the way we work across multiple professions, including oral health care. On the group, members joked about chloroforming their female classmates to have sex with them and voted on which women they would most like to have "hate" sex with. At one point, a crowd of 200 rallied in front of the dentistry building waving signs with "#DalhousieHatesWomen," "Expel Rape Culture," and "We Want Names." In December last year, Dalhousie University in Halifax launched an investigation into a complaint under the University’s Sexual Harassment Policy by a number of women about a Facebook group followed by 13 male students in the Faculty of Dentistry. The University imposed a long-term suspension, which could have been removed if certain conditions were met, including a psychiatric assessment. What to make of last week's latest twists, turns, ins, outs and roundabouts in the never-ending root canal that is Dalhousie's Great Dentistry Scandal of 2014, 2015 … and counting? For example, Dalhousie made supports, including counselling services available to all of the students in DDS2015, and on December 22, 2014, the ASCC suspended the 13 male DDS2015 students from clinical activities on the basis that their Facebook postings demonstrated poor judgment and blatantly unprofessional behavior. Get exceptional Dentistry services from highly experienced & loving pet care professionals in Calgary, AB. A high standard of justice is required when the right to continue in one's profession or employment is at stake… A disciplinary suspension can have grave and permanent consequences upon a professional career.”, There have been a number of Canadian cases addressing a university’s ability to discipline students over the academic and non-academic misconduct. Despite its slow start, Dalhousie has made good use of online and social media communication in relation to the incident since January, establishing a dedicated website titled, ‘Culture of Respect’. Dalhousie’s Code of Student Conduct sets out the offences for which a student may be subject to non-academic discipline, including expulsion, as well as the procedures the University must follow when it receives a complaint. The scandal to the Globe and Mail ’ s attention on December 15, when information about the was. 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