UPEI report of toxic culture prompts board chair to resign, says new leadership is needed

The chair of University of Prince Edward Island's board of governors has stepped down following a report that describes a toxic culture of harassment and racism at the school.

A letter from Pat Sinnott dated June 21 says he is stepping aside effective immediately because new leadership is required to address the university's problems.

"I care deeply about the University of Prince Edward Island, the faculty, and the staff," says the four-sentence letter posted to the university's website. "That said, it is clear to me that, at this time, new leadership is needed to address challenging issues."

Sinnott's resignation followed the release last week of a 112-page report by a Toronto law firm that says the school failed to address allegations of sexual and gender-based violence, with some instances of harassment persisting for years despite continued complaints.

The university had mandated Rubin Thomlinson to investigate after allegations of workplace misconduct were made against former president Alaa Abd-El-Aziz, who resigned in December 2021.

The report documents cases of misogynistic comments from graduate students and supervisors, as well as "lewd comments and suggestions" from certain professors directed at students and co-workers. The behaviour "carried on for years without being addressed in any meaningful way, despite multiple complaints," the report says.

The law firm, however, says in the report it was "unable to obtain a clear picture of the president's behaviour or the school's response to it."

In a statement on Wednesday, the university's board of governors said it was committed to "refreshing" its leadership, something recommended in the Rubin Thomlinson report.

The board of governors will also be the subject of a governance review, "to ensure members receive appropriate information to make evidence-based decisions that are in the best interest of the university community and aligned with the university's values," the statement says.

The university said board member Andrew Bartlett has also resigned, leaving seven vacancies on the 26-person board, adding that it would elect a new chair at a meeting in the coming days.

The Island's sole university receives $50 million annually in operational funding from the provincial government.

In light of the review, Premier Dennis King said that could change.

"Any institution we're funding should have standards they need to meet," he said in the legislature last week. "If they can't meet it, they shouldn't get access to taxpayer money."

This report by The Canadian Press was first published June 22, 2023.

By Marlo Glass in Halifax.

This story was produced with the financial assistance of the Meta and Canadian Press News Fellowship.

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