Scheduling excuse met with ‘absolutely not’
They reveal the behindthe-scenes scramble last winter as UBC’s top administrators tried to put a lid on what they perceived to be a growing controversy over Furlong’s appearance — a move that ultimately backfired and resulted in an embarrassing mea culpa.
UBC president Santa Ono has previously said he was unaware of the decision to cancel the keynote address Furlong was to deliver at an athletics fundraiser, and that the university’s decision- making around t he cancellation “did not meet the standard I am eager to instill.”
But emails show the decision was not made in a vacuum, and that senior people around Ono were intimately involved in discussions leading up to the cancellation.
An $ 11,000 contract was signed with Furlong’s agent in September, 2016, in which UBC agreed to pay him half the money up front.
Then on Dec. 19, Glynnis Kirchmeier, a UBC alumna, wrote an open letter objecting to the school’s choice of Furlong. She cited a report published in 2012 alleging Furlong had abused First Nations students in northern B.C. — claims he has always vehemently denied.
On Dec. 20, Linc Kessler, a senior adviser to Ono on aboriginal affairs, also complained to the president about the choice.
The next morning, Shantal Cashman, director of development and alumni engagement for athletics and recreation, emailed senior colleagues.
“It does appear that the call for the president to cancel ( Furlong) … is gathering steam on Twitter,” she wrote.
By 4 p.m. on Dec .22, the decision had been made to drop Furlong. Cashman emailed colleagues to say attempts were being made to reach Furlong’s office after she had discussed the matter with Herbert Rosengarten, executive director of the president’s office, who in turn had spoken to Philip Steenkamp, vice- president of external affairs, and Terry Lavender, the president’s communications manager.
A summary of Cashman’s conversation with Rosengarten was completely redacted in emails provided to the Post.
A UBC spokeswoman refused Tuesday to confirm who was in on the decision, saying only discussions about the speaking engagement “involved a number of individuals.” She did not respond to specific questions as to whether Ono stood by his original statement that he was unaware of the decision to cancel Furlong’s appearance, or whether he knew the cancellation was being discussed.
Later on Dec. 22 Cashman announced she had reached Furlong’s agent and informed her of the cancellation.
“The agent was not pleased—it was apparent that she has had this conversation many times,” Cashman wrote. “She asked for a written cancellation by tomorrow. I agreed and said that Athletics wanted to confirm with them on the message, and suggested that it be said that the Speaker had to withdraw due to scheduling conflicts. The agent said — absolutely not. Say it as it is.”
Neither Cashman nor the UBC spokeswoman would say Tuesday whether there had been intent to deceive. Andrea Shaw, Furlong’s agent, confirmed the exchange occurred but said the whole matter was “behind us.”
After t he cancellation became public, the campus was inundated with messages f rom alumni who threatened to stop donating. Many said the university’s decision was “spineless” and “cowardly.”
Susan Danard, UBC’s managing director of pub- lic affairs, wondered if there was “any risk of a defamation suit?”
“Presumably, John would want to remain gracious, but his reputation has arguably been damaged.”
Over several days, the university sought to win back Furlong’s good graces.
“There is a delicate ongoing discussion with John Furlong,” Steenkamp said on New Year’s Eve.
The university tapped Longview Communications, a crisis- consulting firm, to help draft a public apology. Josh Pekarsky, Longview’s president, wrote on Jan. 1 the university had “no easy way out.”
“Some kind of statement is clearly required, but any statement will be parsed, scrutinized, criticized and certain to upset people.”
Ono’s apology, released Jan. 3, said the cancellation was made without considering its “potential impact on Mr. Furlong or his family.” It noted Furlong’s “great number of supporters” and record of public service.
The apology didn’t cut it for some donors who demanded UBC reinstate Furlong as speaker.
On Jan. 5, Ono emailed Furlong with an “offer to reinstate you as our keynote speaker, if that is something you would be willing to consider.”
Furlong accepted and said he looked forward to “putting this matter behind us.” Ono said he wanted to “repair (their) relationship and start over.”
UBC officials simultaneously worked to repair relationships with disgruntled donors.
“Please know that it was not our intention to cast a negative light on Mr. Furlong,” Gilles Lepine, the senior athletics director, wrote to a campus supporter on Jan. 10.
UBC” s “genuine intent i on” was to ensure t he fundraiser “was not overshadowed by controversy.
“I realize,” he said, “that this did not work out.”
Furlong’s s peech, delivered to an enthusiastic crowd Feb. 28, helped raise $600,000 for student athletic scholarships.
STATEMENT WILL BE PARSED, SCRUTINIZED, CRITICIZED AND CERTAIN TO UPSET PEOPLE.