For The Weldon Times’ last edition, I wrote an article called, “It’s Not Okay.” It was a spur of the moment, five-hundred word culmination of emotions. Through writing, I discovered thoughts and feelings that had been eating away at me — and my trust of this community — for the past year and a half. One night, I mentioned it to my mom, and she asked, “Have you thought about the fact this might turn into something bigger?” Her question came from a place of unease. She was supportive of my desire to speak out but worried about the looming unknown. If this turned into more than just people reading an article, how would it be received? If I became associated with criticism of the school, what would that mean for me? Her concern, however, put everything into focus. I realized I needed this to become something bigger — I desperately wanted my words to make some kind of difference.
If that goal was realized, it is entirely because of the incredible women who rallied behind the article. Shortly after publication, the LSS and DFLA reached out. Seven of us gathered for a meeting, aiming to transform words on a page into substantive action. Those in the room shared their frustrations and fears, many of which brought me to tears. Someone said they wanted to do something about this for a long time — they had just been waiting for someone to open the door. It felt like the women at Schulich had held their breath, and with the air we needed, we were ready to forge a path forward.
First, we developed a consent panel to present to the first-years during their Winter orientation. Through a frank conversation about consent and respect, the panel’s intent was to address the discrepancy between how consent is viewed in theory and how it is approached in practice. I moderated a 45-minute Q&A session with four panelists: Andrea Tomko, representing Domus; Catriona Hurley, representing Party Safe; and Joshua Langston and Andy Weir, who stepped up to represent the perspective of men.
We touched on what affirmative consent looks like (and what it is not), how to call out problematic conduct when you see it, and how to support someone who has had a non-consensual or uncomfortable experience. We also addressed various reporting and accountability mechanisms available through Domus and Party Safe. At the end, Maggie MacInnis spoke on our program’s professional nature and the higher ethical standard future lawyers are held to. She made a moving request to the 1Ls: do better, so three years from now, they can walk across a stage and graduate as a team. Out of everything I’ve been involved with, this panel is easily what I am most proud of.
Later that evening, at Law Ball, a first-year guy approached me. He wanted to get involved but wasn’t sure how to. I just wanted to say, “That’s the first step.” It might seem small, but being open to learning, asking questions, and letting women in your life know you are behind them has an impact. That one interaction gave me more hope for this community than I’ve felt for a long time.
I have many more thoughts, and I could fill a whole article with my frustration and rage at the problems that still permeate this school. When I think about the amount of work to be done to make this community truly safe for everybody, it feels like I could be crushed under the weight of it. But for now, it’s okay to take a moment and recognize the good that has occurred in the past few months
A conversation has started, and I must believe that means we’re a step closer to getting to okay. I wanted to thank everyone who was willing to share their stories through the anonymous form. Anonymous or not, it is incredibly difficult to put an uncomfortable experience down in writing.
An online companion piece, a compilation of the submissions I received, is published on The Weldon Times website. I highly recommend you take time to read it:
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