A university in Ontario has reversed its plan to allow a teacher who was disciplined for sexually harassing a female student He returned to the classroom, announcing on the eve of his first lecture that the history course that David Schimmelpenninck was scheduled to teach this winter has been
Students at Brock University in St. Catherines attempted to hold a silent protest at the Schimmelpenninck's classroom door when the course began on Thursday after a provincial umpire ruled the teacher, who Brock had not taught, since an investigation into his conduct was concluded in 2016, he should be able to resume his regular duties.
The university sent an email to the students of the undergraduate course, a second-year elective course entitled War and Peace in the Modern Age, on Wednesday morning to inform them that it will no longer be held this semester.
A Brock spokesperson declined to explain why the course was canceled or indicate when the decision to cancel was made, noting that the university does not comment on personnel matters.
Prof. David Schimmelpenninck
In a written statement, Schimmelpenninck said: "I regret my previous behavior, and if I could undo it and the damage I caused, I absolutely would."
Problem with drinking for a long time I have received help for my alcoholism and I have stopped drinking completely In the last three years I have worked very hard to solve my problems and I have done everything the university has asked me.
"I made serious mistakes and the university has disciplined me for them, I know that some people will never accept me back in school, I have dedicated my life to being an educator, and my only hope is to be able to give back to the university community the best way I know, as an educator " .
The students have called Schimmelpenninck to resign in light of his behavior one night in October 2014.
Schimmelpenninck had met some of his students in a bar after class when he suggested a man and a woman from the group to accompany him to his office to continue drinking. An internal investigation by Brock later sided with the student, who was not named, when she alleged that Schimmelpenninck made sexual advances and comments she objected after her male counterpart left the professor's office and went home.
Schimmelpenninck went from Brock, from the end of the investigation in March of 2016 to last summer due to disciplinary reasons, "as well as related health problems and cumulative academic license," the school recently said.
Last month, Ontario labor arbitrator Kevin Burkett ordered Brock to allow Schimmelpenninck to return to the classroom, citing the university's collective agreement with the teachers' association. His second year course was made available to students after that decision, until Wednesday, when the dean of the Brock School of Humanities advised students to contact an academic advisor if they wanted help to change class.
a good first victory, "said Jessica Falk, a fourth-year student who helped plan the proposed sitting.
Sorry for my previous behavior
Alex Perna, a graduate student in geography at Brock, said he was pleased to hear that the Schimmelpenninck course had been canceled, but added that he would continue to protest For her job, she, Falk and other students were still planning to hold a public demonstration on campus on Thursday afternoon, shortly before the first Schimmelpenninck conference began.
"When your power limits are exceeded, It is very difficult to get away from them. That, "said Perna. "I also think that because his statement focused heavily on his dealings with alcoholism and maybe he had a problem, he was not so open to really admitting that sexual violence had been committed against a student."
"If he feels it, I think that's good, but if he really cared about his role as an educator, he would resign without paying the university."
In addition to saying that Schimmelpenninck should resign, Perna and Falk Brock was asked to create a mandatory in-person training regime to educate members of his teachers 'association on how to deal with harassment and abuse, and they want the teachers' association to develop a code of ethics that prohibits its members. having sex with students.
Brock, meanwhile, said in a statement on Wednesday that he would accelerate a scheduled review of his sexual violence. Harassment policy, a week after he said he implemented this policy and hired a coordinator of education and sexual violence response in the years since Schimmelpenninck was investigated.
The Brock teachers' association He refused to comment. • E-mail: nfaris@postmedia.com | Twitter: @nickmfaris
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