The gloves are off, sort of.
York is considering taking legal action in response to an article entitled “Fortress York” published in the October issue of Toronto Life.Written by Katherine Laidlaw, the article provides a timeline of sexual assaults at York over the last 10 years and claims the Keele campus is a “hunting ground for sexual predators.”
Mamdouh Shoukri, York’s president and vice-chancellor, said during a visit to the Excalibur offices that the university has to stand up when they see an article like the one in Toronto Life.The meeting was intended to increase dialogue between Excalibur’s editorial board and the president about issues on campus, extending into the topics of safety on campus and the article published in Toronto Life. The cover of the October issue of Toronto Life includes the jump-line, “Why There Are So Many Rapes at York U.”
“The article treats York as if it is a place where there are uncontrollable events of rape,” says Shoukri. “The statistics don’t support that.”
Laidlaw writes in her feature that York has become a nightmare for students and staff. Laidlaw writes she interviewed dozens female York students, and “every one of them blamed the campus’s problems on its design and location.” She also mentions that the school is bordered by “seedy” strip malls and the Jane and Finch community, all cited as potential trouble spots.
Shoukri responded to the article publicly on YFile on September 17. He writes in his response that the article “presents a wholly distorted picture of women’s safety on the campus of York University.” Shoukri also claims the article uses out-of-context statistics that will foster an atmosphere of fear within the York community.
“York is safe,” he adds in his response. Shoukri also writes it is false to categorize all of the incidents at York as rape, and that sexual assault under the Canadian Criminal Code is broad and covers an extremely wide range of sexual offences.
According to York, the university’s media relations team worked with Laidlaw over several months.
Joanne Rider of York media says the school also provided statistics that demonstrates York is safe within the context of the broader city and other universities. Rider also notes that several other sources provided perspectives for the Toronto Life piece, including the Toronto Police Services, who were not included within the published article.
Toronto Life did not respond to multiple email requests from Excalibur for comment.
Michael Burton
Executive Editor (Online)
