UBCO colleague repulsed by professor
A psychology professor at UBC Okanagan is repulsed by the actions of one of his colleagues and also frustrated with the university for not sharing information about what it has done to deal with the situation.
Stephen Porter, a professor and researcher in the department of psychology, has been accused of sexual harassment by students at UBC Okanagan, and is no longer teaching classes at the university.
In an online notice posted on Dec. 29, the College of Psychologists of British Columbia said Porter had consented to having his practice put under regulatory supervision for 18 months, with a “particular focus” on boundary issues, sexual harassment and power differentials.
“The psychology department has a very high standard, and the fact this has come out acknowledges that no one is perfect, and that people can deceive others,” said Jan Cioe, a UBC Okanagan psychology professor. “I can say with absolute certainty that all of my colleagues are absolutely repulsed by this kind of behaviour and condemn it fully.”
The type of behaviour Porter has displayed is “absolutely unacceptable in any academic environment,” said Cioe.
Members of the psychology department at UBC Okanagan have stepped up to provide any support students need, he said.
Cioe and others in the department have encouraged the university to provide paid-for counselling for the victims, which they have done, he said.
Students who were under Porter’s supervision were also reassigned to other faculty members to continue their research and directed studies.
Meanwhile, Cioe said UBC is sending the wrong message to students by not keeping them informed about the situation, including what disciplinary action has been taken against Porter.
“The students are really distressed by this,” he said.
Without concrete information available, the rumours have started circulating, he added.
“The way to stop rumours is to present the truth,” Cioe said.
The university claims it cannot reveal any information because of privacy laws, which Cioe said is a poor excuse.
“Maybe the privacy commissioner needs to try to understand these are issues that are in fact of public interest, and are in fact in need of disclosure, rather than protecting the privacy of individuals who have transgressed,” Cioe said. “When people violate core responsibilities either as a professor or a doctor or as any other professional, that information should be readily available. It shouldn’t be protected by some misguided beliefs that a person’s private life is to be protected at the cost of information and transparency, because without information and transparency, there is always a danger that these things can happen again.”
As a publicly funded institution, it is even more vital people are told the truth about what is going on, said Cioe.
“The situation right now is obviously untenable, because as far as I know, Dr. Porter is not teaching and is being paid his full salary,” he said. “This can’t go on forever, because it’s going to be pretty fiscally irresponsible for someone to be paid for something they’re not doing.”
Porter has not been charged with any criminal offences.