Student paper, Global News taken to court
in B.C.

The Douglas Student Union, at Vancouver’s Douglas College, is suing Global News and Simon Fraser University’s student paper the Peak, after both outlets published statements from a contentious audit of the student union’s finances.

The audit, commissioned by DSU itself, makes allegations of financial mismanagement by staff and elected members of the student union. DSU is challenging the audit report, and DSU Finance and Services Coordinator Joey Hansen is suing for libel, saying his reputation has been damaged by the publicized claims of the report.

“The auditor failed to interview key DSU board members, including the individuals who served as the DSU treasurer and board chair during the time the auditor focused on the review,” Hansen stated in an open letter to the Peak.

Lacking confidence in DSU finances, Douglas College administrators have withheld funding from DSU for over a year, freezing many of the union’s operations. At the same time, DSU itself is being sued by Douglas College, in an effort to send the student union into receivership, and have financial professionals take over the union’s bookkeeping.

-Andre Bovee-Begun

‘Group of Seven’ sues students at SFU

As expected, seven members of the Simon Fraser Student Society have gone to court to challenge a student vote impeaching them. At an Oct. 25 Special General Meeting called by the university forum, students voted to remove the so-called “G7” from office, but the vote may be overturned in the BC Supreme Court.

According to the lawsuit, the forum meeting that called the SGM was cancelled by G7 member Glyn Lewis, making it only an informal gathering with no authority. Impeachment supporters say Lewis himself lacked the authority to cancel the meeting, and, fearing G7 interference if they held the vote at an alternate, G7-hosted meeting, they went ahead with the SGM.

Impeachment proponent Bryan Jones, named in the lawsuit, spoke on behalf of the other respondents. “We feel it’s really unfortunate that we have to be another CFS confusion that has to go to court.”

SFSS is a member of the Canadian Federation of Students, and the G7 are accused of favouring the CFS health plan over the competition for their student health insurance.

Distrust and resentment have run high on both sides of the debate, which has its initial court date next week.

-A.B.-B.