A defamation trial is expected to start today in B.C. Supreme Court involving former UBC professor Steven Galloway’s allegation that he was defamed through false sexual-assault accusations.
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A trial is expected to begin today in B.C. Supreme Court involving author and former University of British Columbia professor Steven Galloway, who says he was defamed through false accusations of sexual assault.
The court case centres on rumours that circulated online after Galloway was a tenured professor and chair of UBC’s creative writing program, following accusations that he had assaulted one of his students. Galloway was never charged, but was fired.
According to the evidence provided, a report later produced for the university by former judge Mary Ellen Boyd concluded the accusations against Galloway were unsubstantiated.
The defamation suit was taken to the Supreme Court of Canada by the defendants, including Galloway’s accuser, identified only as A.B., and people who repeated the allegations online. The defendants argued their accusations were protected speech.
The Supreme Court of Canada refused to hear the case. A lower court decision, as described in the supplied material, said that if the defendants’ arguments were accepted, “there would be no legal consequences of any kind” for publicly calling someone a rapist.
One of the defendants, Chelsea Rooney, issued a lengthy apology to Galloway over the weekend, saying she was genuinely sorry for her role in causing him harm.
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