The chair of the Varsity newspaper’s board of directors officially resigned Monday night after Muslim student leaders complained about comments Andrew Lefoley made in an email to the “Take Back SAC” slate, currently running in the SAC elections.
The email became public when a copy of it was left on the desk of SAC’s chief returning officer. In it, Lefoley advises Semple on how to respond to different referendum questions, including the multi-faith awareness levy, making a few brief comments which he insists were intended only as jokes.
“It’s multi-faith where we can bandy about words like ‘Diversity’ without actually saying anything!” Lefoley quips in the email.
In a letter directed to the Varsity, the MSA (Muslim Students’ Association) demanded the resignation of the chair and pointed to comments like this one as their cause for concern.
“Advising others to use ‘diversity’ as a political tool in order to gain votes displays your chair’s lack of respect for such a genuine student issue,” writes Muhammad Basil Ahmad, MSA vice-president.
They were further offended by another comment made by Lefoley in the same email.
“As for the issue [of multi-faith awareness] in general, you CANNOT come out against it. The MSA will crucify you, pun intended,” Lefoley says in the email.
The MSA called Lefoley’s remarks a “malicious affront to the religious sensibilities of Muslim students.”
Lefoley counters that his comments were only meant as quips and have been taken out of context—namely, as part of a private email discussing campaign strategy in a light tone.
“My email was intended as a private communication among a small group of people which included a man from Lebanon. I believe he is the best person, as a Muslim man, to judge whether or not the email was offensive,” Lefoley states.
Nader Farhat, a directorial candidate at Victoria College and a “Take Back SAC” supporter, confirms that he is still a supporter after the email.
“I must say that I am greatly offended. Not, however, by any of the content of the email, but rather by some people’s inability to read comments in context,” he writes in an email directed to the campus media and members of SAC. He believes the comments were not intended to be malicious, saying that he personally knows that Lefoley, Semple and Kelly Smith “are each committed to protecting the rights of all students, regardless of race, colour, religion, gender, or creed.”
Nonetheless, Semple argued he could not be blamed for the contents of the email when asked about them at a candidates’ forum.
“I’m not responsible for things coming into my inbox,” Semple explained, noting that he takes advice from a large range of people, including Lefoley, whom he says is one of his many informal advisors on the campaign. Semple also repeated his support for multi-faith awareness.
Varsity editor-in-chief Jeremy Nelson says the whole incident is unfortunate, but notes that whatever people’s opinion of the situation, they should keep in mind the division between the board of directors and the editorial staff.
“The board is responsible for monitoring finances, providing student input and making sure we abide by our bylaws,” he said, noting that student editors control story assignment and editing.
“Reading the paper, you’ll know that our student editors have worked hard to ensure this is a campus is respectful of diversity, and open to all students from all walks of life,” said Nelson. “I think this situation is now nearing resolution, and I hope whatever remaining concerns there are, that we can sit down and sort them out in short order.”
—With files from Ian Ferguson
