McMaster students, faculty question 'abrupt' changes of key staff at sexual violence office on campus
CBC
Students at McMaster University in Hamilton are questioning the institution's commitment to the prevention of sexual violence after staffing changes at the office responsible for that work on campus.
Several people spoke out at a rally organized by Students Against Austerity at McMaster about the "abrupt" dismissal of two of the three staff members at the Sexual Violence Prevention and Response Office (SVPRO), including the office's director, on the same day in late January.
Dozens protested in front of Gilmour Hall on Wednesday. The SVPRO supports students, staff and faculty with response services, education and prevention of sexual assault.
"We want to know: how is the university's commitment to sexual violence prevention and response unwavering … when they can suddenly restructure and violently dismantle these essential services?" Naia Lee, an organizer with Students Against Austerity, told the rally.
Protesters cheered speakers during the cold and windy winter afternoon. Organizers led the crowd, chanting, "McMaster, you can't hide."
"[SVPRO] is extremely essential," labour studies student Sarah Ali told CBC Hamilton at the rally.
"They not only provide services after the fact that someone has experienced [sexual violence], but they provide prevention measures, harm reduction measures that are crucial to teaching people."
The two staff members impacted by the changes are Lenore Lukasik-Foss, who was director of the SVPRO, and Wil Prakash Fujarczuk, who managed sexual violence prevention education at the office.
Both their McMaster emails automatically respond, saying they no longer work at the university. CBC Hamilton reached out to ask about the nature of their terminations, but both declined to comment.
As well as Students Against Austerity, speakers on Wednesday included people from the Pride Community Centre and university staff and professors.
The university said in a statement on Wednesday that it "is currently implementing some changes" at the office and "staffing changes are part of advancing the way that sexual and gender-based violence supports, advice and education are provided across the university," but did not mention Lukasik-Foss or Fujarczuk.
McMaster also said "additional staffing is being planned to support the work of SVPRO and revised positions will be posted shortly." SVPRO continues to offer supports and programs, such as consent training, it said, "through a combination of internal experts and external partnerships."
CBC Hamilton reached out directly to the university with further questions but were referred to the Feb. 12 statement.
Stacey Ritz, a professor in the department of pathology and molecular medicine, said hearing the news of the terminations was "shocking."
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