One college president called another a 'whore.' In response to $200K lawsuit, he argues the comment was 'fair'
Heads of Sault and Conestoga colleges clashed over cap on international students last year
Conestoga College president John Tibbits says the comments he made about Sault College president David Orazietti being inexperienced and a 'whore' in February 2024 were true and fair, respectively.
As part of a $200,000 defamation suit, Tibbits says he was responding to Orazietti publicly singling out Conestoga College as one of the "bad actors" targeted in the federal international student cap.
"President Tibbits' statements were a response to an attack by President Orazietti on Conestoga College's reputation," reads the statement of defence filed with an Ontario court.
The incident stems from a media interview given on Feb. 9, 2024 in which the Sault College president mentioned Conestoga as an example of a college reliant on the higher tuition paid for by international students.
Orazietti says that statement was objective and based in fact.
In an event organised by Conestoga College a few days later, Tibbits made several comments about Orazietti, including "talk about a whore," that he should "shut his mouth" and referring to colleges in northern Ontario, including Sault College, partnering with private colleges in southern Ontario that hand out diplomas like "puppy mills."
Both presidents traded accusations over the spat. Each implied the other had admitted unsustainable numbers of international students without providing the necessary support services or housing in the communities where the campuses are located.
Sault College wants more than the apology offered by Conestoga College
On Feb. 15, the Conestoga College board of governors issued a statement that the comments were unacceptable and that Tibbits had "expressed regret for making the comments and apologized for the offensive remarks."
But Sault College found that apology "unacceptable." In the suit, it says it wants Tibbits to publicly retract the comments and write a formal apology to Orazietti, in addition to paying $200,000 in defamation damages.
Sault College argues that the serious comments made by Tibbits could result in a decrease of enrolment and a loss of funding for the school, as they insinuate Sault College and Orazietti are deceptive and fraudulent.
Tibbits, on the other hand, says that if Sault College suffered any harm, it was unrelated to his comments.
He says other factors, such as "the industry-wide downturn in domestic college student enrolment, and the federal government mandated downturn in international student enrolment" could be at play.