Some students at the University of Calgary are upset that a convicted sex offender and fellow student will not be expelled from campus.
Instead, Connor Neurauter, who pleaded to guilty sexual interference on Jan. 4, has only been told not to return to classes for the remainder of this semester.
“What happens if you are in a study group with this guy where you have to exchange numbers for communications? He then has more targets. There is a reason why campuses are referred to as ‘hunting grounds’ for people like him,” Dana Cramer told Global News.
“I think the university needs to sit down and review its policies first and foremost,” student Paloma Bogacz said. “I really think they should involve the students on this decision.”
Both Cramer and Bogacz are part of the #TimesUpCalgary group, which was pushing to have Neurauter removed from the school. The group is now planning to hold a rally on campus to bring more attention to their concerns next week.
Neurauter, a 21-year-old from Kamloops, B.C., was sentenced to three months in jail and ordered to register as a sex offender and hand over a DNA sample.
A judge delayed the planned Jan. 4 start of his jail time until May 4 so that Neurauter could finish his semester of school.
- Toronto Pearson gold heist: Ontario man arrested at airport after arriving from India
- Man charged in surfer deaths told girlfriend he killed ‘3 gringos,’ court hears
- ‘I believe they’re looking for me’: Man arrested after triple stabbing in Mississauga, Ont.
- Drone used to smuggle $250,000 worth of contraband into N.B. prison, police say
That decision sparked outrage among fellow students and people across the country. More than 40,000 people signed a petition to have Neurauter expelled from the school.
The university said Tuesday it was reviewing the situation.
On Thursday, the university confirmed Neurauter had been asked not to return to the school for the remainder of the semester.
“We would like to clarify that Mr. Neurauter has not been on campus since Tuesday, Jan. 9, and we have advised him not to return to campus for the remainder of the term,” a statement on the university’s website reads.
WATCH: Students at the University of Calgary are calling on the school to take action against a registered offender attending classes there. As Sarah Offin reports, thousands have signed a petition to have him expelled.
The university said management is working with Neurauter to find a solution that works for all involved, adding that university policies don’t apply to the sexual interference incident.
“The matter in British Columbia occurred before Mr. Neurauter was a student at the University of Calgary. This is important, because our policies do not apply to activity that occurred before the person was a member of our campus community. We have no grounds on which to expel him.
“This does not mean that the university condones sexual violence or harassment, nor does it mean that we prioritize the rights of a convicted individual over the safety of our university community.”
Neurauter’s mother told The Canadian Press on Thursday the university said it was concerned for his safety, prompting them to ask him not to come back.
“They’re saying they’re concerned for him having a successful educational experience, and that they won’t be able to keep him safe,” Susan Neurauter said in a phone interview with The Canadian Press.
She said her son has been targeted with online threats, adding that students at the university were reportedly demanding they be given class lists so they’d know where on campus he would be.
— With files from The Canadian Press
Comments