The Mount Allison Students’ Union (MASU) has issued a statement condemning what it calls Mount Allison’s “institutional failure to protect survivors of sexual harassment and assault.”

The statement, issued on social media on November 10th, calls the situation an “unspoken status quo, widely known to students and alumni,” which, “has gone unaddressed for years.”

MASU says that while survivor supports do exist on campus, they are “thoroughly underfunded and mismanaged.”

They say, “students have not been adequately consulted in the creation of policy, prevention or response to sexual assault at Mount Allison.”

Echoing the many comments and posts on social media recently in response to an initial post by graduating student Michelle Roy, MASU says,
“those who have sought help have had their experiences invalidated, or have been altogether gaslit.”

The MASU statement says that “students have witnessed assaulters shuffled between residences to create distance from victims, rather than be sanctioned, charged or expelled.”

It also says that Mount Allison’s SHARE program — the Sexual Harassment and Assault Response and Education Service — is “underfunded and underequipped to act as the first and main resource for students (on campus or off).”

MASU is demanding that the university consult with an independent third party to develop their action plan.

The union says it will consult students to determine further demands.

A solidarity rally being held today at 11am will be live streamed by MASU.

Please note that the South East Sexual Assault Crisis Centre has a 24/7 crisis phone line available at 1-844-853-0811.