Professor Shaheen Shariff Interviewed about Halifax Professor Wayne Hankey
Professor Shaheen Shariff, James McGill Professor and Director of iMPACTS, was interviewed by about听Halifax professor Wayne Hankey, a retired classics and philosophy professor who taught at both听University of King鈥檚 College and Dalhousie University.听Hankey has been charged with sexual assault and indecent assault for separate allegations from two different men.听The alleged sexual assault dates back to 1982 and the charge of indecent assault relates to multiple incidents between 1977 and 1979.
As an education law researcher who studies听sexual听violence at universities, Dr. Shariff explained that sexual violence is听often the result of power imbalances between professors and students,听and that universities may hesitate to address allegations such as those against Hankey and other high-profile professors.听Dr. Shariff also explained that this is because universities are bound by听provincial privacy laws that protect their听employees. (This specific statement was not included in the article.) 鈥淏ut there is never an excuse for allowing someone to continue to perpetrate sexual violence. Especially against students who are in a vulnerable position,鈥� said Dr. Shariff.听
Dr. Shariff explained that universities should have policies that address听intimate relationships between professors and students and, subsequently, these power imbalances. The goal of such policies is to limit sexual violence and sexual harassment.听鈥�淭hese policies have to be clear and consistent, including penalties for breaching the policy,鈥� said Dr. Shariff. 鈥��
鈥�淲hen students have been subjected to sexual advances by people in positions of power, you can imagine how much it poisons their learning environment,鈥澨齭aid Dr. Shariff. 鈥�淚t poisons their ability to feel safe, their feelings of wellbeing... It really creates a chilled environment.鈥�
听
听
