An open letter to the TWU community

Posted by admin on Nov 3, 2005 in News | 0 comments

October 26, 2005

On October 13th, 2005 the university was notified that a former employee had filed with the BC Human Rights Commission a complaint against TWU and its President Neil Snider. The complaint alleges harassment by the president and failure of the University to take action required to resolve it.
The human rights process provides for a period during which the parties to a complaint are able to work privately to resolve the complaint. Because the complainant herself has requested that this more private process be followed, our comments are necessarily limited.

The complaint alleges that the president intruded on the complainant’s personal life in an unwanted manner through phone calls, personal comments, and invitations to social events. There are also allegations of physical contact which the complainant says were unwanted but none of which — on any other grounds — would violate the university’s standards of personal conduct. The complainant also claims that when she raised these concerns with university harassment officers, effective action was not taken to intervene.

The university must respond carefully, properly, and thoroughly to this complaint. The Board of Governors has been fully apprised of the complaint and its details and is receiving legal advice. The Board is managing the legal aspects of the complaint and developing a process to thoroughly review all of the issues. We will act with full integrity and in a way that recognizes the rights of the complainant, President Snider, and the university.

President Snider has a deep concern for the well-being of the university.  The President has also told me that the grief and bereavement he is experiencing following the recent loss of his wife of 45 years is deeper than he could have imagined and that some additional time away from his duties would be helpful.

To ensure the Board responds to this matter with complete integrity, President Snider has volunteered to take a leave of absence from his duties during this process and the Board has accepted that offer with appreciation for the President’s sense of accountability and honor and concern for his well-being. Dr. Snider strongly believes that it is the right response.

We must now allow the development and unfolding of the process with integrity, dignity, and privacy as requested by the complainant. When it is possible to bring further reports to you I will do so. Until then, I ask everyone not to prejudge the issues.

In the interim, the Board has full confidence that Dr. Saffold and the other members of the President’s Cabinet administrators who work with him will provide leadership in the operation of the university, and they have our full support and authority to do so.

This situation is painful and difficult for all concerned. The Board asks for your prayers for Dr. Snider, for the complainant who has been a valued member of this community, and for the University in the days ahead. I also ask for your prayers for those of us on the Board of Governors who are charged with stewardship of this great university.

Sincerely,
Dr. Allan Hedberg, Chair, TWU Board of Governors