P.E.I. premier calls UPEI workplace misconduct report 'troubling and sickening'
Dennis King says the UPEI described in report is ‘an unsafe environment for students ’
P.E.I. Premier Dennis King is describing this week's third-party report into allegations of workplace misconduct at the University of Prince Edward Island as "troubling and sickening."
King made the comments in the provincial legislature Thursday, speaking on behalf of his Progressive Conservative government.
"Like everybody else, we were sickened to read the report that was released by UPEI and how it erodes the trust, confidence and faith that we need to have in an institution as important as UPEI," said King.
He said cabinet met earlier in the day to discuss what it could do to make sure the report's recommendations are adopted to change "what appears to be a systemic system of just horrible behaviour — and I would have to say, based on the report that I read so far, an unsafe environment for students."
In its report, released in a redacted form Wednesday, the Toronto-based law firm of Rubin Thomlinson concluded the university "has failed to create a safe, respectful, and positive environment for working and learning for all members of its community."
The work done by Rubin Thomlinson took 18 months. It cost the university about $400,000, a UPEI spokesperson confirmed Thursday.
Rubin Thomlinson was hired after former UPEI president Alaa Abd-El-Aziz resigned in December of 2021, citing health reasons. Abd-El-Aziz's resignation came shortly after a fresh allegation of misconduct was brought forward against him; he had been the subject of two previous complaints eight years earlier.
But the firm's investigation into the 2021 allegation is not included in the report UPEI made public Wednesday. A separate report on that investigation was finalized on April 28 and given to the university, but has not yet been made public.
'Hard for me to recommend' UPEI
King said he was meeting Thursday afternoon with both the interim president of UPEI, Dr. Greg Keefe, and the chair of the board of governors, Pat Sinnott.
Later in the day, King updated reporters on that meeting.
He said he told Keefe and Sinnott he needed to see their action plan and timeline for change, and would be appointing an independent auditor to make sure report recommendations are met. He also told them he intended to formalize the funding arrangement between the province and the university, tying in stipulations that the university prove it is making progress.
"If they were unable to meet the requirements of that, then the funding would stop," he added.
To change the culture, you need to change a lot of faces. It's hard to change culture if you don't change people.— P.E.I. Premier Dennis King
Asked if he thinks there should be resignations over what he called the "very toxic culture at UPEI," King said that in his experience: "To change the culture, you need to change a lot of faces. It's hard to change culture if you don't change people."
Earlier in the legislature, the premier said it is "absolutely non-negotiable" that the harassment and discrimination described in the report stop.
"As a parent of someone who now has kids who are looking at institutions like UPEI, if my son asked me today: 'Would UPEI be somewhere I should be considering?' it would be hard for me to recommend that," said King.
Opposition questions premier
Both the Opposition Liberals and the third party Green Party went after the premier on the issue in question period Thursday.
Gord McNeilly, the Liberal MLA for Charlottetown-West Royalty, called for more oversight of the university.
For all we know, the university is spending more to settle workplace harassment complaints than it is on spending to create a safe and caring learning and working environment.— Green MLA Karla Bernard
The premier agreed. "We need to make sure that there's a better oversight from the board of governors in terms of the overall operations of UPEI — and as one of the primary funders, we need to make sure that our money is going to places where they have a respectful environment," he said.
Karla Bernard, the Green MLA for Charlottetown-Victoria Park, said conditions should be attached to future funding to UPEI.
"For all we know, the university is spending more to settle workplace harassment complaints than it is on spending to create a safe and caring learning and working environment," said Bernard.
'We need UPEI to do better'
King said there absolutely will be conditions attached to future funding to the university. He said he planned to make that clear during his meeting with the university's interim president and chair of the board of governors.
The province contributes more than $50 million in funding to UPEI each year, he said — not including funding for bursaries or the new medical school planned for the Charlottetown campus.
"We need UPEI to do better," said King.
"And if they're not able to meet us with that, we will look at other drastic measures … to make sure UPEI gets on a better path for the future."
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