Responding to Campus Sexual Violence

Join us for an informal opportunity to connect with our chairs and your program colleagues and get a brief intro to the program.

12:00 p.m. Program Welcome

Gillian Hnatiw, Gillian Hnatiw & Co

Carly Stanhope, BA (Hons), JD, Director of Investigations, Investigations Office, The University of British Columbia

12:15 p.m. The Legal Framework

Joanna Birenbaum, Birenbaum Law Office

This foundational session is designed to provide non-legal professionals with an understanding of the applicable legislation and legal structures and key points of intersection. We will take you through an in-depth overview of the legal framework that governs campus sexual violence and discuss best practices for ensuring your institution is complying with its obligations.

1:30 p.m. Small Group Breakout

We will have facilitated small group breakout sessions sprinkled throughout the program.  These breakouts will be an opportunity to connect and engage with colleagues and a forum for a more intimate discussion about some of the key issues.

2:00 p.m. Wellness Break

2:15 p.m. Dissecting Policies: What They (are Supposed To) Do and Don’t Do

Chabriol Colebatch General Counsel & Associate Vice-President, Legal, Compliance, & Privacy, Brock University

Deb Eerkes, Lead, Sexual and Gender-Based Violence Response, University of Alberta

• What is the purpose of a policy?
• Key potential issues you need to be aware of (including limits on jurisdiction)
• How to evaluate the efficacy of your organization’s policies

3:45 p.m. Small Group Breakout

4:15 p.m. Q+A and Reflections

5:00 p.m. End of Day 1

12:00 p.m. Intro to Day 2

12:05 p.m. Disclosures and Complaints

Dusty Johnstone, Director of Sexual Violence Prevention, Resistance, and Support, University of Windsor

Belinda Karsen, Educational Specialist, Sexual Violence Support and Prevention Office, Simon Fraser University

Understanding the difference between a disclosure and a complaint and knowing how to respond to either is critical.  Our experts will provide guidance on:

• What are the differences and why do they matter?
• Anonymous complaints: guidance for what you should and shouldn’t do
• How to receive a disclosure – best practices

1:20 p.m. 3^rd Party Information and Reports

Tina Lie, Paliare Roland LLP

Dr. Leah Shumka, Director, Institutional Capacity Building, Equity and Human Rights, University of Victoria

• Strategies for navigating disclosures when the complainant doesn’t want to engage
• Options for anonymity
• Key safety issues and how to ensure your organization has what it needs in place
• What is the organization’s reporting policy? Any requirement to report to the police?

2:20 p.m. Wellness Break

2:35 p.m. Interim Measures

Lara Hof, Hof & Associates

Njeri Damali Sojourner-Campbell, Hicks Morley

• Assessing the current array of options, including what works and pitfalls to avoid
• Best practices for implementation
• Interim measures that are not punitive or disciplinary – how to move forward without revictimizing the complainant and being sensitive to the respondent

3:45 p.m. Small Group Breakout

4:15 p.m. Q+A and Reflections

5:00 p.m. End of Day 2

12:00 p.m. Intro to Day 3

12:05 p.m. Investigations and Findings

Kelly McMillan, Nijhawan McMillan & Conlon Barristers

Ashley Richards, Richards Advocacy

• What a good investigation should look like
• Ensuring a trauma informed approach to investigations and complaints generally
• Best practices for on the ground responders
• Navigating confidentiality
• Unique legal and procedural issues arising in PSI sexual misconduct investigations
• Where things go wrong

1:50 p.m. Small Group Breakout

2:20 p.m. Wellness Break

2:35 p.m. Sanctions

Leora Jackson, Legal Counsel (People), Office of University Counsel, University of Toronto

• Purpose of sanctions in the PSI context
• Determining appropriate sanctions
• Applying a restorative lens

4:05 p.m. Small Group Breakout

4:35 p.m. Q+A and Reflections

5:00 p.m. End of Day 3 

12:00 p.m. Intro to Day 4

12:05 p.m. Understanding the Neurobiological and Psychological Effects of Sexual Violence

Dr. Rachel Liebman, PhD, CPsych, Toronto General Hospital, University Health Network, Department of Psychiatry, University of Toronto and Department of Psychology, Toronto Metropolitan University

1:20 p.m. Trauma Informed Practice

Laura Hutchinson, BSc, MScPT, Co-CEO, Barker Hutchinson & Associates Ltd.

Simona Jellinek, Jellinek Ellis Gluckstein Lawyers

2:20 p.m. Wellness Break

2:35 p.m. Operationalizing Intersectionality

Dana J. Campbell-Stevens, Rubin Thomlinson LLP

Michelle A. Cameron, Southern Butler Price

In this session we will drill down on the various aspects of identity that can impact the way people understand and negotiate sexual consent and the way that PSI processes impact individuals. How might we address sexualized violence in a way that is responsive to these differences?

4:00 p.m. Small Group Breakout

4:30 p.m. Q+A and Reflections

5:00 p.m. End of Day

12:00 p.m. Intro to Day 5

12:05 p.m. Alternative Dispute Resolution

Jay Aubrey, Investigator, Investigations Office, The University of British Columbia

• When is ADR appropriate in the sexual violence context?
• What can (and should) it look like?
• Lessons learned from building out ADR processes at PSIs.

1:20 p.m. Power and Consent

Carly Stanhope, Director of Investigations, The University of British Columbia

Taylor Bain, Gillian Hnatiw & Co

• Who bears the onus of proving consent?
• What factors can vitiate consent?
• Examining emerging policies which prohibit intimate relationships with students

2:30 p.m. Health Break

2:45 p.m. Understanding the Intersection of the Criminal and Campus Complaints Processes

Gerald Chan, Stockwoods LLP

Stephanie Dickson, Pender Litigation

Knowing what to do if and when the police become involved is critical. In this session, our experts will guide you through the key issues, including:

• Which investigation takes precedent and when?
• If and when do you need to report a complaint to the police?
• What the institution can do and say when a criminal investigation and /or trial is underway
• How to navigate engaging in parallel procedures while there are ongoing criminal proceedings

3:30 p.m. Small Group Breakout

4:00 p.m. Q+A and Reflections

5:00 p.m. Program Concludes