University of Ottawa (U of O) geography professor Abdou Bannari was acquitted Aug. 28 for death threats made in 2012 towards Marc Brosseau, then-head of the school’s geography department, according to the Ottawa Citizen.
Bannari, 50, had been accused of making reference to mass murderer Valery Fabrikant, a former professor at Concordia University, when venting about Brosseau.
Fabrikant killed four colleagues in a 1992 killing spree.
Brosseau was informed of Bannari’s comments by two other geography professors in 2012, the Citizen reported. He took the threats seriously, even cancelling classes and excusing himself from an assembly.
Justice Gilles Renaud stated in his ruling “The comments are of course inappropriate – and that’s the most polite words I can find – but they do not display a present intent to intimidate,” according to the Citizen.
Though Bannari has been acquitted, it has not yet been determined whether he will return to the university. He has been on leave since being charged and will remain so until U of O has concluded its ongoing internal investigation, according to the university’s official statement.
Bannari “has no scheduled teaching duties for the upcoming term and specific conditions are in place relating to his access to campus while on leave,” the statement read.
