Report on racism at the School of Nursing - today's press conference and Michaelle Jean

[April 29, 2011, press conference participants]

The Centre for Equity and Human Rights (CEHR) of the Student Federation of the University of Ottawa (SFUO) held its press conference about the racism in the U of O School of Nursing today.

The CEHR has received twenty racism discrimination complaints from students in the School of Nursing since 2009.

The press conference testimonies by two plaintiffs were detailed and disturbing.

There can be no doubt that Nursing has an urgent and widespread racism problem that has been disregarded for years by the university administration.

The lawyer for the plaintiffs Yavar Hameed stressed that the problem was not only from bad management but was also systemic, pointing to a lack of internal structures to solve and correct racism problems.

Unlike previous press conferences at the University of Ottawa, the university communication staff and legal counsel were nowhere to be seen on the floor. Instead, they have installed a new electronic lock on their main door and called the media behind closed doors for private conferences.

The presenters avoided naming the six university staff complained against in the Human Rights Tribunal of Ontario complaints but Student Appeal Centre director Mireille Gervais had the following statements for UofOWatch.

"[Professor] Isabelle Cyr is a problem regarding differential treatment of Nursing students based on the colour of their skin."

"Kirsten Woolend, ex-director of the School of Nursing, acknowledged in 2008 -- at a meeting with me, CEHR director Francine Page, SFUO VP-University Seamus Wolfe, vice-dean of the Faculty of Health Sciences Francis Reardon, and School of Nursing administrator of undergraduate programs Joanne Larose-Dubois -- that the School of Nursing had received many complaints about Isabelle Cyr."

"It is a widely known fact that Isabelle Cyr once physically shook [assaulted] a black Nursing student."

As the event was closing, former Governor General Michaelle Jean, who now has her UNESCO office beside university president Allan Rock's office, happened by accident to walk by and stopped to chat with some of the plaintiffs. Jean inquired why they were in Tabaret Hall. After some explanation Jean asked CEHR director Francine Page to send her all the documents so she can prepare for a possible informal chat with Rock. Maybe Rock will listen to Jean? He hasn't listened to anyone else.

SEE ALL ARTICLES ABOUT RACISM AT U OF O (label=racism)
.

MEDIA
Radio-Canada TV news (en francais)
Le Droit - with audio (en francais)

Prosecutors fumble in Marc Kelly trial

Will the media cover this or will it prefer to stick with the U of O banned bottled water story?

SOME BACKGROUND

Remember these remarkable videos about ludicrous arrests of students on the campus of the University of Ottawa?





One student (Seamus Wolf, then president of the student union) plea bargained. Student Marc Kelly did not plea bargain and is representing himself at his own trial.

Kelly, a former scholarship student in mathematics-physics, was arbitrarily barred from registering for courses to finish his B.Sc. degree, expelled from his program of study, and trespassed from all University of Ottawa grounds by the Allan Rock administration.

The Student Appeal Center (SAC) of the student union is defending Kelly's academic rights and Kelly was in the SAC office when he was arrested for trespass after the dean of the Faculty of Science Andre E. Lalonde called police on spotting Kelly in the SAC office.

Ludicrous.

Allan Rock has a history of confrontation with student Kelly: HERE.

Several background articles about the Marc Kelly case at the University of Ottawa are HERE.

RECENT DEVELOPMENT

On Monday September 4, 2010, Marc Kelly was in court at 9 am to defend himself over the false arrest ordered by the Rock administration.

Well the Prosecutor had to ask the judge for an adjournment because she "only realized late Friday" that, after months of preparation, her office had not subpoenaed her witnesses (the many Ottawa Police and campus police officers involved at the scene or in the background).

The Judge ruled that an adjournment was granted but that the onus was now on the Prosecutor to produce her witnesses at the next trial date which was set for:

9 am, Monday October 4, 2010.
Courtroom 101
100 Constellation Crescent, Ottawa, Ontario.

This means that the Prosecutor will either be ready for trial or the charges will be dropped.

Kelly had obtained a subpoena order for dean Andre E. Lalonde but this order will now need to be re-issued for the new trial date.

If the charges are dropped or beat this will open the door for Kelly to then sue for malicious arrest.

Either way, it will be a long road to the B.Sc.

False-arrest-unlawful-arrest double-arrest whammy at U of O – VIDEO

Here you have it. Ottawa cops acting like thugs who can’t read. SEE VIDEOS BELOW.

On February 2, 2010, student Marc Kelly was in the office of his Student Appeal Centre regarding the University’s illegal use of trespass and arbitrary denial of course registration against him when spotted by Dean of Science André E. Lalonde who presumably called the university police in a panic.

First the cops recognized the Trespass to Property Act and ask to see the student union lease of the Student Appeal Centre. The Act defines the “legal occupier” as the independent service renting the space.

Teacher assistant union (CUPE Local 2626) president Sean Kelly (no relation) explains Act to cops. Student Appeal Centre director Mireille Gervais (also a graduate student in law) explains Act to cops.

Then cops call the University lawyer who apparently responds with “the University owns all the property”. Yup, and your landlord owns your apartment but he can’t have your visiting buddy arrested for trespass… duh.

Cops take Marc Kelly from Student Appeal Centre office before student union president Seamus Wolfe arrives with lease of premises. Here, the appropriate word from the 60s comes to mind: Pigs.

In view of the basis for the arrest being the Trespass to Property Act, I would call this an unlawful arrest. Add Ottawa Police refusal to consider the central legal question of who is the “legal occupier” of the Student Appeal Centre office and you have a nice police-state atmosphere.

Surely former federal Minister of Justice and University President Allan Rock will step in and clear this mess up long before it goes to trial, and maybe coach his Legal Counsel on how answering cop questions is a context-sensitive matter…?

Then (2nd video BELOW) in a segment from a campus nightmare student union president Seamus Wolfe arrives asking the Ottawa Police Sergeant why they refused to consider the lease and why they entered student property without permission…

And, in the end, Wolfe said the F word (Fuck). He was forcefully arrested for “disturbing the peace by swearing”. Well, the video clearly shows that Wolfe didn’t disturb anything except one cop. And swearing is not illegal. Nor is being annoyed at a cop. (Arrest me!)

So it appears quite plainly that Wolfe’s arrest was a false arrest. At best the cop’s judgment is so bad in recognizing a “disturbance of the peace” that he should be sent back into training. Was a single member of the public disturbed? Can someone serve as a witness to this crime? I think a jury would find that the cop knew this was not a bona fide disturbance of the peace and would find the cop to be misusing the law and abusing his power. But hey that’s just me.

And where is Dean of Science André E. Lalonde in all of this? Maybe his judgment in making the original complaint should be questioned? Maybe the Dean could read the Trespass Act (all three pages) in order to avoid more such messes on campus? Or he could stay in his office?





RELATED LINKS:
President Allan Rock goes berzerk against student Marc Kelly
Student Liam calls on Rock to stop arresting students
SCUO students call on Rock to disarm and chalkon
Final solution applied to student Marc Kelly
Crown drops all eight criminal charges against student Marc Kelly