EDITORIAL – TRU’s claims about transparency aren’t convincing
(Image: CFJC)
An editorial by Mel Rothenburger.
A LITTLE MORE than a year ago, TRU was in the midst of a major controversy over allegations made against two of its senior administrators.
It was big news. Dozens of claims of bullying, sexual harassment and disrespect were made, and the university launched a lengthy and very expensive — $1 million — investigation.
When it was done, one of the administrators was fully exonerated; the other had left the university. TRU released parts of the report but not all of it.
Board of governors chair Marilyn McLean said at the time the complete report couldn’t be released because of B.C.’s Freedom of Information and Protection of Privacy Act. “Specifically,” she said, “Section 22 limits the type of information that public bodies can release to safeguard the privacy of individuals.”
McLean further stated, “This is not a public inquiry. These matters involve individuals and issues related to their employment. As such, the report and findings are protected.”
Yet, on Monday, the full report was suddenly released. The justification is now a different section of FIPPA, Section 25(1)(b), which says public bodies including universities must disclose “without delay” any information that is “clearly in the public interest.”
Mel Rothenburger is a regular contributor to CFJC Today, publishes the ArmchairMayor.ca opinion website, and is a recipient of the Jack Webster Foundation Lifetime Achievement Award. He has served as mayor of Kamloops, school board chair and TNRD director, and is a retired daily newspaper editor. He can be reached at mrothenburger@armchairmayor.ca.
ArmchairMayor.ca 
TRU feels that to some extent that the local media cannot be trusted to report the facts accurately. Ok, fine. But at the same time, their lack of communication with the public does not help their case either. Not releasing the report earlier did not help their case. One cannot go about running a (public) university believing that your business is not in the public interest. Brief communiques telling people basically that there’s nothing to see here, and it’s none of your business anyway will ultimately not help their cause.
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