The director of an Indigenous student services hub at the University of 色色啦 is no longer employed there after an investigation concluded that he sexually harassed an employee over several years.
In an Aug. 18 letter to the complainant, the university鈥檚 director of workplace investigations wrote that Michael White was no longer director of U of T鈥檚 First Nations House and Indigenous Student Services.
The letter from Hana Saleem says White鈥檚 conduct breached the university鈥檚 policy on sexual violence and sexual harassment and was 鈥渋nconsistent with the expectations that the university has for employees in leadership positions.鈥
The Star was unable to reach White for comment. Text messages sent to his phone number did not receive a response. The person who answered his phone and identified himself as 鈥淢ichael鈥 hung up when the caller identified himself as a Star reporter.
The Star is not publishing the name of the complainant due to the nature of her allegations.
Asked whether White was fired, the university鈥檚 media relations department said it could not comment on personnel matters because of confidentiality.
The letter to the complainant advising that White was no longer employed at First Nations House included a summary of findings by an external investigator, Robin Parker of Paradigm Law Group.
That summary said the complainant said White made sexualized and inappropriate comments toward her over several years, shared details about his intimate life and did not respect boundaries she established about contacting her outside of work.
The investigator said the complainant alleged that White鈥檚 conduct made her feel uncomfortable and unsafe, especially as it continued after she told him to stop numerous times.
A written summary of White鈥檚 response to the allegations that was provided to the complainant by the investigator says聽he had a 30-year relationship with First Nations House, first as a student and then as a staff member.
It says he denies that the comments he made about the complainant鈥檚 appearance and clothing were sexual in nature, as well as their frequency, 鈥渂ut accepts that he may have said things of this nature as part of a personal exchange.鈥
鈥淗e now understands that these comments made (the complainant) uncomfortable and would not make comments of this nature again.鈥
Of the seven allegations made by the complainant against White, the investigator concluded that one was substantiated 鈥 that 鈥渂etween Sept 2022 and September 2024, the Respondent made a series of inappropriate comments by comparing the Complainant to the likeness of women he was either in a romantic relationship with or was sexually attracted to 鈥︹
The summary notes that White 鈥渄id not deny making these comments, though he denied the frequency alleged by the Complainant, and denied that he intended the comments in a sexual way.鈥
It continues, 鈥淭he investigator found that the Respondent made personal comments about the Complainant with sufficient frequency to affect her comfort and ease at work.鈥
Of the six other allegations, the investigator found that four were 鈥減artially substantiated鈥 and two were 鈥渦nsubstantiated.鈥
The complainant told the Star she has resigned from the university, partly because she felt uncomfortable returning to work there.
She said she decided to speak up because she wants other women to know they have the right to feel safe in the workplace and shouldn鈥檛 tolerate sexual harassment.
She added she wanted to set an example for her younger sisters.
鈥淚 would hate for them to have to go through this just because I let it happen. So I would always encourage people to just say what they need to.鈥
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