CBC News, June 17, 2023. By Carolyn Ryan.
"Swearing people to secrecy ended up putting the University of Prince Edward Island in an unpleasant spotlight this week. "
. . .
"An 18-month-long investigation wouldn't have been necessary, and an independent consultant wouldn't have issued a scathing report about harassment, discrimination and a toxic work environment at Prince Edward Island's only university.
"Certainly the province's premier wouldn't have been telling the legislature that he would now hesitate to advise his own children to attend UPEI.
"And it all started with non-disclosure agreements, or NDAs."
. . .
"'It is entirely inappropriate for anyone, and in particular, an institution of higher learning, to insist upon the use of an NDA in relation to the facts underlying a claim of harassment, discrimination, or sexual violence…," the Rubin Thomlinson report said.
"'The institution, in making a settlement, is compensating the individual for the harm they have suffered. It should not be buying survivors' silence'."
. . .
"Julie Macfarlane, co-founder of Can't Buy My Silence, ...says the report into UPEI includes the strongest condemnation yet against the use of NDAs for those purposes on campuses in Canada.
"'An awful lot of people's lives have been really messed up over the things that we are reading about in this report," she said in an interview with CBC News on Friday.
"'I am thrilled that there is a recognition of reality here'."
