UBC apologizes to Furlong for cancelling speech
University of British Columbia president Santa Ono apologized to John Furlong on Tuesday, saying the decision to cancel Furlong’s speaking engagement at the university did not show the right amount of respect.
“UBC made this decision in good faith, but without proper consideration of its potential impact on Mr. Furlong or his family,” Ono said in a statement. “While this decision was made without my knowledge or that of the UBC Board of Governors, I deeply regret this error and have apologized to Mr. Furlong on behalf of UBC.
“While a modern university should neither court nor shy from controversy, our decision-making should be the result of a robust, deliberative process.”
Furlong, the former CEO of the 2010 Vancouver Winter Olympics, had been scheduled to speak at a Millennium Scholarship Breakfast on Feb. 28, but his appearance was cancelled to avoid controversy over past unproven allegations against him.
Furlong said the apology is a recognition of the “deep hurt and embarrassment (the cancellation) has caused me and my family.”
“I accept UBC’s apology and regret for this decision and while very disappointed, I want to continue to put the students first,” Furlong said in a statement. “I ask that everyone, including supporters and UBC’s long-standing friends, continue to support the event as it is imperative that vital funds are raised to support and entice aspiring athletic stars to UBC.”
He said he intended to donate his speaking fee towards the scholarship event and UBC announced Tuesday afternoon that in lieu of Furlong speaking, it would “commit to dedicating his full fee to the athletics fundraising effort, in addition to the university’s standing commitment to match all funds raised at the event.”
“While some take issue with Mr. Furlong, he also has a great number of supporters in the community, and there can be no question over his record of public service and his extraordinary contributions to amateur sport, to B.C. and to Canada,” Ono said in the statement.
The allegations against Furlong arose in a 2012 Georgia Straight article in which freelance writer Laura Robinson reported claims that Furlong had physically abused First Nations students in northern B.C. decades earlier.
The Georgia Straight story set off a chain of legal actions that included Furlong suing Robinson, three people filing sexual-abuse lawsuits against Furlong — which all were later dropped or dismissed — and Robinson launching a counter lawsuit, alleging he had damaged her reputation in public statements.
Furlong denied the allegations in Robinson’s story and while he initially sued both her and the Georgia Straight for defamation, he dropped the suit, leaving the claims in the article untested. The B.C. Supreme Court ruled in 2015 that Furlong did not defame Robinson.
Glynnis Kirchmeier, a former UBC student who has filed a human rights complaint against the university over its handling of sexual assault reports, wrote to UBC asking that Furlong not speak at the athletic fundraising event.
Ono, who is going to speak at the event instead of Furlong, made clear that the Millennium Scholarship Breakfast event sponsor had no role in the decision to cancel Furlong’s participation. — With files from Larry Pynn