Hi All, this evening a commenter on this post crossed a line into what looked to me like online harassment. The comments were in my view also unrelated to the content of this post and were plainly unhelpful. In case that wasn't clear, as I believe it was, I just want to state my unequivocal support and respect for Meghan Bell and thank her for a number of courageous and helpful things she has done to help the literary community move on in a positive manner.
Although I have not had any direct contact with her I have similar respect for Sierra Skye Gemma. The reason this story is so captivating is because its complex. There are so many factors at play for many of us in how and why we fell into the roles we did. Untangling all of this can be tricky and even painful. But it will be downright impossible if everyone continues to think the worst of each other. And I refuse to do that.
So I thank all of the people who come here with an open mind and good intentions. It's the way forward. And thanks again to Meghan Bell for helping set that standard with her dignified comments. They are greatly appreciated and welcome.
Brad, thank you for continuing to write about the fallout from the UBC accountable letter, and about Galloway's ongoing legal battles as well. I, too, was a signatory, but I've always felt I remained relatively unscathed because I'm a children's author, and was therefore not in the direct line of fire - a bit removed, certainly more unknown. I'm stunned and saddened to read of the negative impact signing a letter for due process has had on so many authors. And I remain to this day infuriated that the entity that is UBC, got away with their absolutely egregious handling of the situation. I was an adjunct up there at the time so I got to see - not everything, but some - of how it all went down. From the outset I and many others were deeply uncomfortable with how events unfolded, but only a few of us dared question what was happening - not because we were braver (hell, no - I've kept my head very far down from that day forward) - but because we didn't have a lot at stake. For many up there, who were hoping for full-time positions, for example, in a notoriously tough field to make any kind of living in, they didn't dare speak up (and let me emphasize, I don't blame them) - but I know some of them shared our discomfort. The ripple effects have been profound and long-lasting. Thanks for continuing to shine a light.
Good column, Brad. Only want to correct a couple of things: none of the board members at Room called for Carmen to be dismissed as a contest judge, that came from outside the collective, and was basically just Rak and Palmer. It was the same for Lorna appearing in our festival: the board agreed to keep her invite but we were harassed for it. Lorna ended up being one of the most popular speakers at the first Growing Room Festival (in terms of event attendance and audience feedback), and Carmen judged our contest without it being an issue.
However, I'm not disputing that authors who signed the UBC Accountable letter were backlisted, including at Room. I was opposed to blacklisting, but not strongly enough, and wish I had spoken up more and more clearly. At the time, I was overworking / too busy and constantly exhausted, and the harassment was overwhelming. I still have some of Palmer's emails, which include overt threats to spread malicious lies about the Room collective if we didn't fire Lorna in particular.
I've been following this blog and have been dismayed to learn more details about what actually happened. You already know this, but I privately apologized to both you and Steven a while ago for my role in the online fiasco. Here's the public apology. I was wrong, entrenched in at atmosphere at UBC that was deeply unhealthy, and I acted on and formed beliefs based on bad information.
Wishing you all the best and thank you for this. = Meghan
I think the fallout was intense for the whole community, though you have articulated clearly the heavy price paid by many of those who signed. We don't realize how important due process is until we see how things play out when it is eliminated. It is truly disheartening to see how effective those who demanded blacklisting have been, and how so many literary institutions--who were suddenly and stressfully thrust into the role of judge and jurors themselves--caved to their demands. A robust, healthy community would be able to tolerate strongly held differences of opinion and would have safeguards in place to protect diversity of thought. Thank you for this, Brad.
I read this story out of curiosity, please note, I am not a writer by any stretch of the imagination. To say that im shocked, stunned,in disbelief is an understatement. How can this be allowed to happen.
This reminds me of an incident at McGill Not to long ago, Declan McCool was internal vice president if the McGill student union, he was falsely charged with sexual assault. And what happened afterwards was that this life was turned into a living hell.
Details are in the Montreal Gazette
Thank you all, for writing on this sordid chapter of Canadian Literature
What was so hard to understand why people online kept calling Galloway a rapist when they didn’t know any details because he and his accuser signed NDAs. The public knew the details of what Ghomeshi & Weinstein & other sexual predators had done but not Galloway. This online mobbing went on for a year before the UBCA open letter was published and it helped to prompt the letter asking for due process at UBC whose staff had rushed to judgement and then they didn’t clearly and publicly state that Galloway had been cleared of sexual assault by their internal investigation under Justice Boyd. That was the situation before the open letter came out. The university admin wanted a scapegoat because they had mishandled or ignored earlier reports of assault on students.
Hi Brad. One of the signatories here. Must’ve missed your email. No personal or professional repercussions myself but I’m just some nobody who wrote a few silly trivia books. Also someone who is proud to call Carmen Aguirre, quite possibly the bravest person I’ve ever met, a friend.
Is there any evidence that any of the non-entities who attacked the signatories have resiled from their initial support of the Plaintiff, or have apologized to any of them once the nature and scope of the Plaintiff's lies, her acolytes' blindfolded shit-flinging and UBC's iniquities surfaced?
Hi All, this evening a commenter on this post crossed a line into what looked to me like online harassment. The comments were in my view also unrelated to the content of this post and were plainly unhelpful. In case that wasn't clear, as I believe it was, I just want to state my unequivocal support and respect for Meghan Bell and thank her for a number of courageous and helpful things she has done to help the literary community move on in a positive manner.
Although I have not had any direct contact with her I have similar respect for Sierra Skye Gemma. The reason this story is so captivating is because its complex. There are so many factors at play for many of us in how and why we fell into the roles we did. Untangling all of this can be tricky and even painful. But it will be downright impossible if everyone continues to think the worst of each other. And I refuse to do that.
So I thank all of the people who come here with an open mind and good intentions. It's the way forward. And thanks again to Meghan Bell for helping set that standard with her dignified comments. They are greatly appreciated and welcome.
Brad, thank you for continuing to write about the fallout from the UBC accountable letter, and about Galloway's ongoing legal battles as well. I, too, was a signatory, but I've always felt I remained relatively unscathed because I'm a children's author, and was therefore not in the direct line of fire - a bit removed, certainly more unknown. I'm stunned and saddened to read of the negative impact signing a letter for due process has had on so many authors. And I remain to this day infuriated that the entity that is UBC, got away with their absolutely egregious handling of the situation. I was an adjunct up there at the time so I got to see - not everything, but some - of how it all went down. From the outset I and many others were deeply uncomfortable with how events unfolded, but only a few of us dared question what was happening - not because we were braver (hell, no - I've kept my head very far down from that day forward) - but because we didn't have a lot at stake. For many up there, who were hoping for full-time positions, for example, in a notoriously tough field to make any kind of living in, they didn't dare speak up (and let me emphasize, I don't blame them) - but I know some of them shared our discomfort. The ripple effects have been profound and long-lasting. Thanks for continuing to shine a light.
Good column, Brad. Only want to correct a couple of things: none of the board members at Room called for Carmen to be dismissed as a contest judge, that came from outside the collective, and was basically just Rak and Palmer. It was the same for Lorna appearing in our festival: the board agreed to keep her invite but we were harassed for it. Lorna ended up being one of the most popular speakers at the first Growing Room Festival (in terms of event attendance and audience feedback), and Carmen judged our contest without it being an issue.
However, I'm not disputing that authors who signed the UBC Accountable letter were backlisted, including at Room. I was opposed to blacklisting, but not strongly enough, and wish I had spoken up more and more clearly. At the time, I was overworking / too busy and constantly exhausted, and the harassment was overwhelming. I still have some of Palmer's emails, which include overt threats to spread malicious lies about the Room collective if we didn't fire Lorna in particular.
I've been following this blog and have been dismayed to learn more details about what actually happened. You already know this, but I privately apologized to both you and Steven a while ago for my role in the online fiasco. Here's the public apology. I was wrong, entrenched in at atmosphere at UBC that was deeply unhealthy, and I acted on and formed beliefs based on bad information.
Wishing you all the best and thank you for this. = Meghan
I think the fallout was intense for the whole community, though you have articulated clearly the heavy price paid by many of those who signed. We don't realize how important due process is until we see how things play out when it is eliminated. It is truly disheartening to see how effective those who demanded blacklisting have been, and how so many literary institutions--who were suddenly and stressfully thrust into the role of judge and jurors themselves--caved to their demands. A robust, healthy community would be able to tolerate strongly held differences of opinion and would have safeguards in place to protect diversity of thought. Thank you for this, Brad.
Thank you Brad for keeping the score. We can’t allow for people who joyfully engaged in career destruction of so many to be “forgotten”.
Is this my country, our country?
Our University system , or just UBC?
I read this story out of curiosity, please note, I am not a writer by any stretch of the imagination. To say that im shocked, stunned,in disbelief is an understatement. How can this be allowed to happen.
This reminds me of an incident at McGill Not to long ago, Declan McCool was internal vice president if the McGill student union, he was falsely charged with sexual assault. And what happened afterwards was that this life was turned into a living hell.
Details are in the Montreal Gazette
Thank you all, for writing on this sordid chapter of Canadian Literature
What was so hard to understand why people online kept calling Galloway a rapist when they didn’t know any details because he and his accuser signed NDAs. The public knew the details of what Ghomeshi & Weinstein & other sexual predators had done but not Galloway. This online mobbing went on for a year before the UBCA open letter was published and it helped to prompt the letter asking for due process at UBC whose staff had rushed to judgement and then they didn’t clearly and publicly state that Galloway had been cleared of sexual assault by their internal investigation under Justice Boyd. That was the situation before the open letter came out. The university admin wanted a scapegoat because they had mishandled or ignored earlier reports of assault on students.
And, naturally, the villains of the piece are the "be kind" crowd. Jackals and hyenas the lot of them.
Thank you for your integrity and your art.
Hi Brad. One of the signatories here. Must’ve missed your email. No personal or professional repercussions myself but I’m just some nobody who wrote a few silly trivia books. Also someone who is proud to call Carmen Aguirre, quite possibly the bravest person I’ve ever met, a friend.
Is there any evidence that any of the non-entities who attacked the signatories have resiled from their initial support of the Plaintiff, or have apologized to any of them once the nature and scope of the Plaintiff's lies, her acolytes' blindfolded shit-flinging and UBC's iniquities surfaced?