An elected student representative at the University of Ottawa (U of O) has resigned from his position after pleading guilty to charges of criminal harassment.
Cody Boast, Board of Administration (BOA)-elect with U of O’s undergraduate student union, the Student Federation of the University of Ottawa (SFUO), pleaded guilty March 26 to harassing two ex-girlfriends.
Boast, who was to serve as a BOA director for the Faculty of Social Sciences, resigned from his position March 25, releasing a statement on his Facebook page.
“As part of an agreement with the courts, I have plead guilty and take full recognition of the serious mistakes in my past, and take full responsibility for my actions,” Boast stated. “As an individual who campaigned on accountability, I believe this is the right thing to do for this community that I have come to love.”
The first incident of harassment occurred when Boast was sentenced to 18 months’ probation in 2009 for harassing a former girlfriend the previous year, according to the Ottawa Citizen.
Boast then violated orders not to contact his ex-girlfriend during the probation period, sending his ex and her two friends multiple emails which described his academic and athletic successes, reported the Citizen.
He also went to a popular nightclub during his probation period where he insulted his ex-girlfriend and was involved in a fight with one of her friends, said the report.
Boast was charged with breach of probation in April 2011 as a result.
A second incident took place in June 2012 when Boast posted nude photos on Facebook of a different ex-girlfriend, with whom he had broken up two months earlier, reported the Ottawa Citizen.
The woman, who is also a U of O student, reported Boast to the university’s harassment officer after he continued to text her, despite her asking him to stop.
The Citizen reported that two weeks later, he posted naked photos of her through a different Facebook account, and shouted “Facebook’s got you now!” outside her home after midnight. Court documents indicated the woman “feared for her safety,” believing Boast had been following her.
Following Boast’s resignation, the SFUO released a statement saying it “denounced” Boast’s acts of harassment, but noted the situation “does not exist as an isolated incident.”
“We collectively have a role to play in challenging all forms of gender-based violence and the culture that permits it to exist,” the statement said. “While this case has garnered public attention, we know that students on our campus face similar situations on a daily basis, often with little support or attention.”
The SFUO said it would continue to provide support to victims through various campaigns.
A Facebook page called “Cody Boast Does Not Represent Me” had previously been set up, urging Boast to resign. It has since been taken down.
Boast said in his statement he would be taking steps to change his behaviour in the future, and asked for forgiveness from the community.
“My sincere apologies and thoughts go out to the women who have been affected by my actions,” Boast said. “I will take my direction from these women on how to take accountability in regards to them specifically.”
Boast will be sentenced in April.
