Galloway admits to affair, says probe cleared him
SCANDAL: Investigation of two-year liaison found no evidence of a sexual assault
Steven Galloway has broken his silence after being fired from the University of British Columbia, where he was head of the creative-writing program.
The mysterious June, 2016, firing led to rumours of sexual assault and harassment and divided the Canadian writing community after a group of prominent writers published an open letter last week calling for an independent inquiry into the way UBC handled Galloway’s dismissal. Margaret Atwood, who was one of the writers who signed the open letter, compared UBC’s handling of the situation to the Salem witch trials.
On Wednesday, Galloway’s lawyer, Brent Olthuis, released a statement. In the statement, Galloway expressed regret for his actions and the harm they had caused. The statement confirmed that Galloway was accused of sexual assault.
However, the letter also stated that an investigation led by retired judge Mary Ellen Boyd found that claim was unsubstantiated.
“After an exhaustive review of the whole of the evidence, Ms. Boyd found on a balance of probabilities that Mr. Galloway had not committed sexual assault,” the statement said. “Of the other allegations made against Mr. Galloway, Ms. Boyd found that one constituted a violation of UBC policy. The sole complaint substantiated was that Mr. Galloway engaged in inappropriate behaviour with a student. Both the student and Mr. Galloway were married at the time. The relationship developed into an affair that lasted approximately two years. This was the conclusion of Ms. Boyd’s report.”
The statement said Galloway “profoundly regrets his conduct and wishes to apologize for the harm it has caused. He does not seek to minimize it or hide from it. He seeks fair treatment for all involved, and an end to the scurrilous assertions and accusations that have proliferated in the vacuum of information.”
Galloway was suspended with pay in November 2015 after the initial allegation against him was made. UBC appointed Boyd to head the probe and then fired Galloway after the lengthy investigation.
However, the university’s faculty association said it had “serious concerns with the university administration’s misleading public and private comments regarding Professor Galloway” and continues to defend him in a grievance process, which is set to go to arbitration in March.