UMSU has been made aware and is deeply concerned regarding the allegations made against Dr. Peter Jones. We can now assure students that Dr. Jones has been placed on leave pending an active investigation, and will provide further updates on this as we have more information.
We are disheartened by the continued presence of inappropriate conduct between faculty and students at the University of Manitoba, and recognize this as a concerning trend across all campuses.
While we respect the ongoing investigation into this matter, we call on the university to do the following in light of this situation:
1) Ensure that regardless of the outcome of this investigation, all students under the supervision of Dr. Jones are granted the appropriate resources and supports so they are able to continue their research and do so in a safe environment.
2) Implement a policy outlining student and faculty relationships, which prohibits any form of sexual relationship between faculty and students whom they have a direct power imbalance over.
We remain involved in the university’s ongoing review of their policies and practices with regards to sexual violence and conflict management, and continue to call on the university to implement survivor-centered policies, and a standalone sexual violence support centre.
If there are any students requiring support from UMSU, we encourage you to contact us and we will do our best to provide or direct you to proper resources.
Sincerely,
Your UMSU Executive Team
Contact:
Jakob Sanderson, President: UMSU (pres@umsu.ca)
Sarah Bonner-Proulx, Vice-President Advocacy: UMSU (vpa@umsu.ca)
Jackie Gruber, Human Rights and Conflict Management Office: University of Manitoba (Jackie.gruber@umanitoba.ca)
