Carleton’s department of student affairs will move forward to a hearing process on the homophobic and racist attacks that took place during the Rideau River Residence Association (RRRA) elections for 2014-15, now that campus safety has concluded its investigation.
Two males have been identified in connection with the case, according to university safety community liaison Mark Hargreaves.
“Unless there’s some sort of new lead or new information that I don’t anticipate coming forward, at this point we have now closed the file on our end,” Hargreaves said.
He confirmed that both men are students at the university.
All three slates in the election filed a report Feb. 19 detailing times and locations of several instances of campaign material destruction and racist and homophobic graffiti on posters around campus.
The names of those identified in security camera footage have been passed on to Student Affairs director Ryan Flannagan, who is conducting a separate investigation.
While he could not comment on an ongoing investigation, Flannagan said decisions about any punishment will be reached based on one of two documents: the residence contract, if the accused students live in residence, or the student rights and responsibilities policy for non-residence students.
Flannagan said he expects the investigation to conclude in early March and a hearing to be set up afterwards.
Depending on the severity of the accusation, hearings are overseen by the director of Student Affairs or a peer conduct board. Students represent themselves at the hearing.
Sanctions are generally corrective, not punitive, according to the Student Affairs website.
They can involve community service, educational workshops, exclusion from university facilities, fines, and apologies.
The university will not release the names of those involved, although Student Affairs may share the information with the victims, Flannagan said.
Arif Jaffer, RRRA’s vice-president (administration) said he wants the vandalism to be taken seriously.
“Proper consequences should be taken,” he said.
“I want them to be made an example of, to say don’t do this ever again, because this is not what we’re supposed to do here,” he said.
Given the nature of the vandalism that took place, Flannagan said criminal charges are also an option.
“We need to look at the information and evidence and determine if that is a step,” he said.
Reilly Vamplew, the presidential candidate on the Equity Slate that ran in the RRRA elections, said he would prefer that Student Affairs choose an educational sanction.
“I think instead of outright kicking someone out of school or whatever, if we educate, it’s going to get a lot further in terms of getting that person to change their behaviour,” he said.
