The Queen's Journal, Volume 146, Issue 5

the journal

Q u e e n ’ s U n iv e r s i t y

IN THIS ISSUE

Vol. 146, Issue 5

F r i d ay , S e p t . 1 4 , 2 0 1 8

since

1873

Car catches fire, explodes on Johnson Street Fire damages building and vehicle

EDITORIALS

R achel H uizinga and R achel A iken Assistant News Editors

Updated disability definition opens door for students

Last night, a car parked at a Johnson Street house caught fire and caused a small explosion, damaging a nearby house.

page 6

OPINIONS Being openly conservative on Queen’s campus

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PHOTO BY AMELIA RANKINE

Firefighters extinguish car fire after explosion shakes student house near Johnson and Division on Sept. 13.

ARTS Greenwood relives Fort McMurray wildfires

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Queen’s denied responsibility in Queen’s receives $1 million sexual assault lawsuit donation for arts University filed crossclaim against two other defendants in case brought by former student I ain S herriff -S cott News Editor

SPORTS Pat Sheahan enters Gael folklore with 100 wins

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LIFESTYLE Stories from a summer at a racehorse fertility clinic

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Acting Fire-Captain, Shawn Welbanks, told The Journal the department received reports of a vehicle that caught fire at around 9 p.m. “The vehicle sustained quite a bit of damage, [and] the house on the outside [sustained] a little bit of damage,” he said. Welbanks said he cleared the residents to re-enter the house after the fire had been extinguished and the damages assessed. “No one was injured,” he said. The vehicle’s owner declined to comment. Brandon Saltzman, ArtSci ’21, and the next-door neighbour of the damaged house, said he and his housemates were the first to notice the smoke.

Queen’s denied all liability for the alleged instances described in a recent sexual assault lawsuit brought forward against the University and two men, according to court filings obtained by The Journal. As previously reported in June, the plaintiff, a former residence advisor, is seeking nearly a million dollars in damages from Queen’s and defendants Ali Erfany and Mustafa Ahmadi in the Superior Court of Justice. In her statement of claim, the plaintiff alleged Erfany and Ahmadi were responsible for physically and sexually abusing her on multiple occasions in Victoria Hall in 2014. At the time, both men were employees of Residence Life. Because the defendants were working in residence, where the incidents took place, the plaintiff claimed Queen’s

was vicariously liable for the attacks. She also claimed Queen’s doesn’t adequately educate students about sexual violence—which the University challenged. In its June 6 statement of defence, Queen’s denied vicarious liability for the alleged incidents. Queen’s claimed the defendants Erfany and Ahmadi weren’t employees or volunteers of the University, but rather of Residence Life, which Queen’s described in its statement as a “separately incorporated entity.” In a statement, the plaintiff also alleged the University didn’t ensure Victoria Hall was reasonably safe to enter. Queen’s said it took “reasonable measures” to ensure that safety and security policies were followed. In the University’s statement of defence, it said the defendants acted “without the knowledge or acquiescence of Queen’s” when they

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committed the alleged sexual assaults. The statement also said the two men “were acting entirely outside the scope and authority, express or implied, of their roles with Queen’s.” The University also filed a crossclaim against the defendants Erfany and Ahmadi, requesting the court shift financial liability for the suit onto them. In their statement, the University said the plaintiff’s damages claims are “excessive” and “exaggerated.” Queen’s also denied that its actions contributed to any of the plaintiff’s alleged “negative life experiences.” In the summer of 2016, Erfany was convicted of unlawfully entering a dwelling and sexual assault. At the time of his conviction, Erfany was still enrolled at Queen’s. He’d also sat on University Senate while

See Lawsuit on page 4

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Alfred and Isabel Bader continue generous donations to campus B rigid G oulem Arts Editor

On Sept. 10, Isabel and Alfred Bader donated $1 million to support four projects in the visual and musical arts at Queen’s. It’s a pattern for the couple, who’ve made several notable contributions including Herstmonceux Castle, Rembrandt paintings, and the Isabel Bader Performing Arts Centre. Out of the million, the Agnes Etherington Art Centre will receive $645,000. The money will go toward funding the Centre’s first touring exhibition in 30 years. The exhibition, Leiden, circa 1630: Rembrandt Emerges, will tour across Canada at four venues starting in Kingston the fall of next year. In addition to the touring collection, the money will fund the Isabel and Alfred Bader Lecture in European Art, which will give Queen’s access to some of the most @queensjournal

prolific scholars in the field. The Agnes Etherington Centre will also use the new funds increase their online presence and digitize the collection. “It’s not an exaggeration to say that [the Baders’] have really put Queen’s in a leading position,” said Jane Allen, Director of the Agnes Etherington Arts Centre. “They’ve done so very thoughtfully and knowing that is so important for students and the wider intellectual community to have the arts as part of their lives.” The second allotment of the Bader’s donation was $200,000 directed to the Department of Art History and Art Conservation. The money will be used to purchase a digitally assisted 3-D microscope and an electromagnetic multi-based image scanner. Dr. Patricia Smithen, an Assistant Professor in the Art Conservation program said the donation is an excellent opportunity for the program. “It is a wonderful expression of confidence in and support for our program, as well as a keen opportunity

See Isabel on page 9 @thequeensjournal