By
      Laurel
      Fortin
     
     
      The
      Fulcrum
     
     
      University
      of
      Ottawa
     
    
   
   
    
     
      A
      prolonged
      period
      of
     
     
      depression,
      overwork
      and
     
     
      personal
      stress
      impaired
      the
     
     
      University
      of
      Ottawa's
      dean
     
     
      of
      social
      sciences
      normal
     
     
      judgement
      last
      week,
      resulting
     
     
      in
      his
      arrest
      for
      the
      attempted
     
     
      murder
      of
      his
      mother
      and
      his
     
     
      resignation
      from
      the
      University
     
     
      of
      Ottawa.
     
    

    
     
      Henry
      Edwards'
     
     
      lawyer,
      Bob
      Wakefield,
      says
     
     
      his
      client
      is
      undergoing
     
     
      voluntary
      treatment
      for
      acute
     
     
      depression
      which
      led
      to
      what
     
     
      police
      suspect
      was
      an
      overdose
     
     
      of
      sleeping
      pills
      administered
     
     
      to
      his
      85-year-old
      mother
     
     
      Rosalbina.
     
    

    
     
      Regional
      police
      found
     
     
      Edwards'
      mother
      in
      need
      of
     
     
      immediate
      medical
      attention
     
     
      after
      Edwards,
      57,
      walked
      into
     
     
      the
      Casselman
      provincial
      police
     
     
      station
      on
      Tuesday,
      October
     
     
      15
      and
      told
      officers
      to
      check
     
     
      on
      her.
     
    

    
     
      She
      was
      taken
      from
      her
     
     
      apartment,
      which
      is
      adjacent
     
     
      to
      the
      Edwards
      family
      home,
     
     
      to
      Ottawa
      Civic
      Hospital
      for
     
     
      treatment,
      and
      released
      later
     
     
      that
      day.
     
    

    
     
      Detective-Sergeant
     
     
      Marc
      Pinault
      said
      Edwards
     
     
      was
      released
      on
      $5,000
      bail
     
     
      and
      under
      conditions
      that
      he
     
    

    
     
      not
      return
      to
      his
      Nepean
      home
     
     
      and
      that
      he
      seek
      medical
     
     
      treatment
      at
      the
      Royal
      Ottawa
     
     
      Hospital.
      Edwards
      will
      appear
     
     
      in
      court
      again
      on
      November
     
     
      25,
      and
      may
      enter
      a
      plea
      to
      the
     
     
      charges
      at
      that
      time.
     
    

    
     
      If
      convicted
      of
     
     
      attempted
      murder,
      Edwards
     
     
      could
      face
      a
      maximum
     
     
      sentence
      of
      life
      in
      prison.
     
    

    
     
      Students,
      professors
      and
     
     
      administrators
      in
      the
      faculty
      of
     
     
      social
      sciences
      are
      regrouping
     
     
      after
      learning
      of
      Edwards’
     
     
      arrest
      last
      week.
      The
     
     
      university
      rector
      accepted
     
     
      Edwards'
      letter
      of
      resignation
     
     
      with
      regret
      on
      Tuesday,
      said
     
     
      Jacques
      Pallascio,
      university
     
    
   
   
    
     
       
     
    
   
   
    
     
      communications
      officer.
     
    

    
     
      "It
      is
      a
      tragic
      event,"
     
     
      said
      U
      of
      O
      legal
      counsel
     
     
      Darryl
      Grandbois.
      Staff
      and
     
     
      faculty
      are
      being
      referred
      to
     
     
      the
      university
      counselling
     
     
      services
      for
      assistance
      and
     
     
      support.
      Director
      Lise
      Chislett
     
     
      said
      these
      services
      were
     
     
      offered
      immediately
      after
      the
     
     
      university
      was
      notified
      of
     
     
      Edwards'
      arrest.
     
    

    
     
      "Professors
      are
      ina
      state
     
     
      of
      disbelief
      and
      concern
      for
     
     
      Henry
      asa
      person,"
      said
      school
     
     
      of
      psychology
      director
      Richard
     
     
      Clement.
     
    

    
     
      "The
      doctor
      is
      very
     
     
      appreciative
      of
      the
      support
      and
     
     
      sympathetic
      concern
      shown
      by
     
    
   
   
    
     
      U
      of
      S
      Stands
      Against
      Student
     
    
   
   
    
     
      SASKATOON
      (CUP)
      --
      The
     
     
      University
      of
      Saskatchewan
     
     
      violated
      a
      student's
      freedom
     
     
      of
      expression
      when
      they
     
     
      expelled
      him
      for
      repeatedly
     
     
      displaying
      art
      work
      they
     
     
      deemed
      libellous,
      says
      ahuman
     
     
      rights
      commission.
     
    

    
     
      Christopher
      Lefler,
      a
     
     
      former
      fine
      arts
      graduate
     
     
      student
      at
      the
      U
      of
      S,
      was
     
     
      suspended
      from
      the
      university
     
     
      in
      1993
      after
      the
      university
     
     
      removed
      his
      artwork
      from
      a
     
     
      student
      exhibition.
      A
      binder
     
     
      placed
      with
      his
      exhibit
      identified
     
     
      a
      prominent
      member
      of
      the
     
     
      Saskatchewan
      government
      as
     
     
      beinghomosexual.
     
    

    
     
      Lefler
      had
      the
      right
      to
     
     
      appeal
      his
      expulsion
      to
      the
     
     
      university
      but
      instead
      accused
     
     
      the
      university
      of
      discrimination
     
     
      on
      the
      basis
      of
      sexual
     
     
      orientation.
     
    

    
     
      He
      then
      threatened
      to
     
     
      publish
      three
      hundred
      pages
      of
     
     
      letters
      and
      transactions
     
     
      between
      himself
      and
      the
     
     
      university
      and
      document
      the
     
     
      entire
      issue
      --
      an
      enterprise
      he
     
     
      said
      would
      be
      funded
      with
      a
     
     
      grant
      he
      was
      awarded
      by
      the
     
     
      Saskatchewan
      Arts
      Board.
     
    

    
     
      When
      the
      arts
      board
     
     
      subsequently
      withdrew
      its
     
     
      grant
      offer,
      Lefler
      filed
      human
     
     
      rights
      complaints
      against
      the
     
    
   
   
    
     
      The
      Panther
     
    
   
   
    
     
      University
      Recoiling
      After
      Dean's
      Arrest
     
    
   
   
    
     
      aT
      Te
      Ua
      2S
     
    
   
   
    
     
      his
      colleagues
      at
      the
      university,
     
     
      students
      and
      all
      of
      his
      past
     
     
      associates,"
      said
      Wakefield.
     
    

    
     
      The
      dean's
      arrest
      and
     
     
      resignation
      is
      only
      the
      latest
      in
     
     
      aseries
      of
      misfortunes
      incurred
     
     
      by
      the
      social
      sciences
      faculty.
     
     
      It
      comes
      on
      the
      heels
      of
     
     
      allegations
      of
      sexual
     
     
      misconduct
      by
      other
      professors
     
     
      in
      the
      faculty.
      Criminology
     
     
      professor
      Robert
      Ross
      is
      facing
     
     
      19
      charges
      in
      a
      Kingston
      court
     
     
      ranging
      from
      rape
      to
      breach
      of
     
     
      trust,
      and
      sociology
      professor
     
     
      Jean
      Lapointe
      continues
      to
     
     
      teach
      despite
      admitting
      to
     
     
      misconduct.
     
    

    
     
      "Students
      are
      in
      total
     
     
      shock,"
      said
      criminology
     
    
   
   
    
     
      U
      of
      S
      and
      the
      SAB
      saying
     
     
      they
      had
      neglected
      his
      right
      to
     
     
      freedom
      of
      expression
      and
     
     
      discriminated
      against
      him
     
     
      because
      of
      his
      sexual
     
     
      orientation.
     
    

    
     
      The
      commission
      says
     
     
      “there
      is
      probable
      cause
      to
     
     
      believe"
      that
      the
      U
      of
      S
      did
     
     
      indeed
      interfere
      with
      Lefler's
     
     
      freedom
      of
      expression.
      The
     
     
      sexual
      orientation
      complaint
     
     
      has
      been
      rejected
      as
      have
      the
     
     
      complaints
      against
      the
     
     
      Saskatchewan
      Arts
      Board.
     
    

    
     
      "Whether
      Mr.
      Lefler's
     
     
      artwork
      might
      be
      the
      subject
     
     
      of
      legitimate
      criticism
      is
      for
     
     
      others
      to
      debate.
      Our
      only
     
     
      conclusion
      is
      that,
      whatever
     
     
      reaction
      his
      artwork
      might
     
     
      provoke
      from
      the
      viewer,
     
     
      university
      officials
      were
      not
     
     
      justified
      in
      stifling
      his
     
     
      expression
      activity,"
      the
     
     
      commission
      wrote
      in
      its
      report.
     
    

    
     
      The
      U
      ofS
      still
      maintains
     
     
      that
      its
      actions
      were
      justified
     
     
      because
      they
      could
      have
      been
     
     
      threatened
      with
      legal
      action
      by
     
     
      the
      individual
      identified
      by
     
     
      Lefler's
      exhibit.
     
    

    
     
      "We
      were
      advised
      that
     
     
      the
      artwork
      presented
      potential
     
     
      liable,
      defamatory,
      or
      civil
      suits
     
     
      against
      us,
      so
      we
      removed
      the
     
     
      artwork
      and
      asked
      [Lefler]
      not
     
     
      to
      replace
      them,"
      said
     
    
   
   
    
     
       
     
     
       
     
    
   
   
    
     
      October
      2
     
    
   
   
    
     
        
     
     
       
     
     
       
     
     
        
     
     
       
     
     
        
     
     
       
     
     
       
     
     
       
     
     
       
     
     
        
     
     
       
     
     
        
     
     
       
     
     
        
     
     
       
     
     
       
     
     
         
     
     
       
     
     
        
     
     
        
     
     
         
     
     
       
     
     
        
     
     
        
     
     
       
     
     
       
     
     
       
     
     
          
     
     
       
     
     
         
     
     
       
     
     
        
     
     
       
     
     
        
     
     
        
     
     
         
     
     
       
     
     
        
     
     
       
       
     
    
   
   
    
     
      student
      Alan
      Wilson.
      "I
      heard
     
     
      the
      news
      and
      as
      soon
      as
      I
     
     
      came
      to
      campus
      students
      were
     
     
      talking
      about
      it.
      Everyone
      is
     
     
      waiting
      to
      see
      what
      the
     
     
      administration
      will
      do."
     
     
      Edwards
      has
      been
      a
     
     
      member
      of
      the
      U
      of
      O
     
     
      community
      since
      receiving
      his
     
     
      doctorate
      in
      psychology
      in
      the
     
     
      1960's.
      He
      has
      held
      various
     
     
      positions
      including
      dean
      of
     
     
      psychology
      and
      dean
      ofsocial
     
     
      sciences.
      His
      work
      in
      the
     
     
      psychology
      of
      language
     
     
      acquisition
      was
      pivotal
      in
     
     
      recommending
      the
      university
     
     
      offer
      sheltered
      courses
      that
     
     
      eased
      students
      into
      a
      second
     
    
   
   
    
     
      language.
     
    
   
   
    
     
      university
      secretary
      Iain
     
     
      MacLean.
     
    
   
   
    
     
      "We
      haven't
      heard
      from
     
     
      Mr.
      Lefler
      yet,
      but
      negotiations
     
     
      are’
      the
      next”
      step,"
     
    
   
   
    
     
      acknowledged
      MacLean.
     
     
      "The
      university's
     
     
      position
      is
      that
      we
      stand
      by
      our
     
     
      original
      decision
      [to
     
     
      permanently
      expel
      Lefler].
     
     
      Successful
      negotiations
      are
     
     
      doubtful
      and
      we
      may
      very
      well
     
     
      have
      to
      go
      to
      the
      board
      of
     
    
   
   
    
     
      Lefler,
      who
      has
      since
     
     
      moved
      to
      Toronto,
      said
      that
      he
     
     
      and
      his
      lawyer
      are
      currently
     
     
      appealing
      the
      three
      rejected
     
     
      complaints,
      but
      declined
      further
     
     
      comment.
     
    
   
   
    
     
      Great
      Hairy
     
     
      Bunches
      of
     
     
      Thanks
      to
     
    
   
   
    
     
       
     
     
        
     
     
       
     
     
       
     
     
       
     
     
       
     
     
       
     
     
       
     
     
       
     
     
       
     
     
       
     
     
        
     
     
       
     
     
       
     
     
        
     
    
   
   
    
     
      Mr.
      Chad
      W.
     
     
      "Mad
      Yodeler"
     
     
      DesRoches
     
    
   
   
    
     
      For
      helping
      our
     
     
      COURIC
      =
     
     
      another
      day.
      and
      A
      very
      special
      thank
      you
     
     
      another
      Publication
      to
      all
      of
      our
      wonderful
     
     
      Date
      contributers.