University withdraws complaint against student

HALIFAX — Dalhousie University is withdrawing a complaint against a student leader who criticized “white fragility.”

The Halifax university had faced a stiff backlash for launching the formal disciplinary process against Masuma Khan for a profane post, igniting fierce debate about free speech and equity on campus.

Arig al Shaibah, vice-provost of student affairs, said the university’s code of conduct may not place two core institutional values — freedom of speech and the prevention of demeaning and intimidating behaviour — in sufficient and proper context.

She said the case has prompted the university to examine ways to resolve the complaint outside of the regular senate disciplinary process.

Khan’s Facebook post, which called for supporting Indigenous protests aimed at Canada 150 celebrations, began with“F--you all” and ended with the hash tags“white fragility can kiss my ass” and“white tears a.”

Al Shaibah said she understood the comments were an effort to “passionately expressallyship for Indigenous peoples and name the legacy of colonialism,” but she said she also had to validate other students’ reasonable expectation to engage in campus debate “without being demeaned and derogated by a student leader.”

When Khan rejected an informal resolution to the complaint put forward by the university, the matter was referred to a senate discipline committee. But the rising tensions prompted the university to withdraw the complaint Wednesday.

“Having considered and weighed all of the events of the last few weeks, and particularly the last couple of days, at this time, with the endorsement of the officers of senate and with the knowledge of the complainant and witnesses, I am withdrawing the complaint,” al Shaibah said in a statement.

She said public conversations about the issue have become increasingly polarized, and in some instances, hateful, undermining the values of respect, inclusion and safety Dalhousie is seeking to foster.

“They still haven’t reached out to me personally. They still haven’t included me in this conversation,” Khan said.