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The president-elect of St. Francis Xavier University’s student union is accusing one of the school’s former varsity athletes of attempted assault.
The accusation appears in a letter penned by Rebecca Mesay and published online Tuesday by the school newspaper Xaverian Weekly. By Wednesday afternoon it had been read 14,000 times.
“That night, it took not one, not two, but three young men to keep you from hurting me,” wrote Mesay.
“As soon as I realized what exactly was happening, I was incredulous. What is wrong with him? Does he realize what he is about to do? . . . It wasn’t until I saw them holding you back that I realized I was at any threat for physical harm in the first place.”
She states that the men who intervened during the alleged incident at an Antigonish pub five months ago were also student athletes.
Contacted Wednesday, Mesay declined to provide further details about the alleged incident.
“As relating to the incident itself, beyond what I have written in the impact statement there is nothing more I feel I should disclose publicly,” said Mesay, who takes over as president of St. Francis Xavier University Student Council for the coming term.
Mesay reported the incident to both the university administration and the RCMP.
St. F.X. head of student services Andrew Beckett confirmed that the male student, who graduated this year, had gone through the student disciplinary process but said that the findings and consequences for him are confidential.
In her letter Mesay states that the male also went through restorative justice. Sgt. Warren Mac-Beath of the Antigonish RCMP detachment said Wednesday that if the case went through restorative justice, he would not comment on it.
A search of court records by The Chronicle Herald did not find a record of charges against the accused — nor would they necessarily appear if he went through restorative justice.
In her letter Mesay is critical of the way incidents of assault on campus are handled by the university administration.
“The systems I have had to navigate, both within the university and with the police, are hard to endure,” wrote Mesay.
“The systems are flawed, onerous, and repetitive. You are constantly asking for updates, constantly wondering if there is more information you can access, constantly second-guessing your decisions, constantly questioning your sanity.”
Beckett said Wednesday that an incident on campus first goes through an internal investigation during which the complainant, witnesses and accused are interviewed.
From there, he said, the incident can go one of three ways.
A student conduct officer can dole out discipline in cases of lesser offences and the school’s discipline committee can review cases that don’t involve potential for a suspension or expulsion.
More serious cases go to the school’s judicial board.
He did not say which process this case went through.
In her letter Mesay also states that athletes receive special treatment on campus.
“You are fully responsible for your actions but you are simultaneously the outcome of a broken system that has allowed a number of athletes at this university to act and behave in a way that would never have been deemed acceptable coming from any other student,” wrote Mesay.
“. . . I think this also speaks more broadly to how players, teams, and coaches are being overseen in the Athletics Department because I am not convinced that the (team on which this student played) is the only one with a problem.”
Xaverian co-editor in chief Claire Keenan agreed that there are concerns among the broader community of students on campus with how athletes are treated.
“Absolutely it’s a concern,” said Keenan.
“With every campus athletes are treated differently. They basically have another full-time job, get a course reduction and it creates this barrier between them and the NARPs (non-athletic regular people). The two biggest assault cases on campus this year involved athletes. So that turns the spotlight on them.”
Beckett, meanwhile, categorically denied any special treatment toward athletes on campus.
“Absolutely not,” said Beckett.
“We have no tolerance for violence or aggression. It doesn’t matter if it’s a student athlete, a student leader or what role they play on campus.”
He said that the high profile of student athletes mean they are held to a high standard both academically and as leaders.
“I’m not trying to hide from the fact that we have had some highprofile incidents involving student athletes,” said Beckett.
“It’s a disappointment for us, for the coaches, and will be a source of some evaluation over the summer months. We will use every opportunity to make sure students coming in understand the behaviours and responsibilities we expect them to carry forward with.”
Mesay said in her letter that she chose to come forward so that other women would not be afraid to do the same.
“To the girls and to the women, especially for the ones who have come to me with their stories since they found out I came forward, I have just one message: You do not have to be afraid anymore, of him or of anyone,” wrote Mesay.
“I am evidence of that; I am still here. In fact, I will always be here. If I can do it, you can, too. “
The Chronicle Herald is not identifying the sport to avoid identifying the accused as the accusations have not been tested in court. The Herald reached out to the player in question but did not receive a response.
The coach of the team also declined to comment.
