York University is taking steps that could result in the suspension of a student after the National Post reported he was being investigated by the Ontario Provincial Police (OPP) Hate Crimes/Extremism Unit, wrote the National Post March 4.
While police are investigating Salman Hossain over Internet postings that support the genocide of Jews, whom he refers to using a long list of offensive terms, the University said yesterday it had also begun to examine the student’s behaviour.
“We’re still attempting to get in touch with him directly. We’re trying to get to a face-to-face meeting with him as soon as we’re able, to confront him with this information,” said Keith Marnoch, York’s associate director of media relations.
“Basically, if he acknowledges this is his writing and posting of material and so on, we would probably move swiftly with the tools at hand here, which would most tangibly be an internal tribunal through our Student Code of Conduct.”
The OPP and Toronto Police Service are also investigating Hossain.
The Canadian Jewish Congress sent a letter to Mamdouh Shoukri, president & vice-chancellor of York University, urging him to immediately suspend Hossain and bar him from campus until the police investigations are complete, the Post said.
Marnoch said if Hossain’s case is sent to an internal tribunal, he could be suspended immediately pending the outcome. The tribunal is an appointed panel made up of students, staff and faculty.
- Toronto’s CFRB Radio also reported on the story March 3.
TRU names new dean of arts
An environmental sociologist with a wealth of academic and professional experience has been named the new dean of arts for Thompson Rivers University (TRU), wrote BC’s Kamloops This Week March 2.
York grad Michael Mehta (BA Hons. ’89, MES ’91, PhD ’95) is leaving his post as a professor of environmental studies at the University of Winnipeg to join TRU on July 1.
York athlete breaks record of 22 years
Mississauga’s Dontae Richards-Kwok was the standout for the Lions, wrote The Mississauga News March 3 in a story about the Ontario University Athletics Track & Field Championships held at York. A second-year liberal arts & professional studies student, Richards-Kwok won three medals, broke a 26-year-old meet record and was part of a relay team that set new meet and fieldhouse records.
On the first day of competition, Richards-Kwok won the 300-metre race in a time of 33.80 seconds, breaking one of the oldest meet records on the books as he lowered the previous time, set by York’s Desai Williams in 1984, by .08.
My Fair Lady is given an age twist
A screening Sunday of the Canadian-made documentary Poor No More is intended to offer hope to those dealing with poverty in Windsor, wrote The Windsor Star March 4.
The documentary, hosted by “This Hour Has 22 Minutes” star Mary Walsh, will be screened at the Art Gallery of Windsor at 2pm, followed by a panel discussion with the film’s executive producer, David Langille, and invited guests. Langille is the founding director of the Centre for Social Justice and a contract faculty member in York’s Faculty of Liberal Arts & Professional Studies.
On air
- Moshe Milevsky, finance professor in the Schulich School of Business at York University, took part in a panel discussion on addiction to personal debt, on TVO’s “The Agenda” March 3.
- Leo Panitch, Canada Research Chair in Comparative Political Economy in York’s Faculty of Liberal Arts & Professional Studies, spoke about giving back to the economy of Florida, on Toronto’s AM640 Radio March 3.