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| EST. READ TIME 1 MIN.Liam Donnelly's Conviction by Prejudice: Lessons for Harassment Policy
On May 23, 1997, Simon Fraser University (SFU) fired swim coach Liam Donnelly with cause, for severe sexual harassment. SFU claimed his guilt had been proved by a three-person Investigative Panel which had found him guilty of numerous offenses including having sexually molested a student. Within two months SFU reversed itself, exonerating Donnelly on all the charges, SFU acknowledged problems with both the evidence and the fairness of the procedures.
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David Finley
David Finley is a Professor of Accounting in the Faculty of Business Administration at SFU. His research interests have beenin applications of mathematical statistics to auditing and more recently on strategic game-theoretic aspects of auditing and the interpretation of audit evidence. He has published in such journals as the Accounting Review, the Journal of Accounting Research, Auditing: A Journal of Practice and Theory, and Contemporary Accounting Research. Recently, he became interested in academic freedom issues, which led to his criticisms of harassment policies and procedures and his continued interest in the Donnelly case. Finley now serves in the SFU Senate. Although unsure whether his election to this body was an honour or a punishment, he has been favourably impressed with the healthy diversity of opinion found there. Finley also writes limericks on both traditional and contemporary themes, and he has authored a one-act verse play based on a fourteenth century story that deals with a harassment complaint.… Read more Read Less…
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