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Galloway accuser reported allegations to RCMP but retracted statement out of fear, says professor

Read the original at The Globe and Mail ↗
Cite

The Canadian Press. (2026, November 3). Galloway accuser reported allegations to RCMP but retracted statement out of fear, says professor. The Globe and Mail. https://www.theglobeandmail.com/canada/article-steven-galloway-accuser-retracted-statement-rcmp-allegations/

Dated from the outlet's own feed. Check the original for its byline.

The Globe and Mail · collected 2026-11-03 · by The Canadian Press

Quick Summary

Annabel Lyon, director of UBC’s school of creative writing, testified today at Steven Galloway’s defamation trial that A.B., one of his accusers for sexual and physical assault, initially reported her allegations to the RCMP but later retracted them out of fear the police would contact Galloway. This testimony is part of a lawsuit Galloway filed in 2018 against A.B. and others who spread unproven claims online. Lyon’s account reveals that faculty members were shocked by A.B.’s allegations when they met to discuss them in November 2015, shortly after she first shared the accusations with another professor.
Written by AI on 2026-11-04, from this article's own text only (the story summary below draws on all the coverage).

AI analysis

Story summary

In the defamation trial against Steven Galloway, a University of British Columbia creative writing professor testified that the woman who accused him of sexual assault initially reported her allegations to the RCMP but later retracted them out of fear. Annabel Lyon, now director of UBC's school of creative writing, told the court in November 2015 when faculty met to discuss these claims, they were "absolutely shocked." A.B., whose name is under a publication ban, had also asked Lyon to convey her accusations to others if UBC did not act against Galloway. The trial involves Galloway suing his accuser and three other defendants for spreading the allegations online.

Written for “UBC Prof Testifies in Galloway Case” on 2026-11-04, grounded in this article and the 1 other(s) covering the same event.
Why this leaning score
This article does not take a side on a contested political question, so it has no leaning score. That is an answer rather than a gap: a match report or a rescue can be warmly or critically written without being left or right, and scoring it anyway is how approval of a subject gets recorded as a political position.
No political leaning scored for article 126909 · logged 2026-11-04

Story

📰 UBC Prof Testifies in Galloway Case
Education · 2 article(s) covering the same event. See how they differ ↓

Compared with similar articles

This article reads unscored and hedges 17% of its claims. Each row says how that neighbour differs.
UBC prof testifies she acted as a 'conduit' for sex assault allegations against Steven Galloway Same event
CBC News
Hedges 2 of 26 claims Outlet record 74/100
How this article was measured signals, leaning charts, publisher record, byline, topics and claims

Signals How these are calculated →

Claims extracted
6
sentences that state something as happening or true
Uncertain
17%
1 of 6 hedged ("reportedly", "may", "according to")
Leaning
not political
takes no side on a contested political question
Publisher signals
52/100
The Globe and Mail's corrections and hedging, across everything collected from it. Not a measure of accuracy.
Outlets on this story
2
Education
Same framing elsewhere
1
articles that frame the event the way this one does
Analyzed 2026-11-04 · how these are computed

How this is being covered How these are calculated →

Article leaning vs. publisher reliability
Source leaning vs. consistency

Publisher

The Globe and Mail · 1075 article(s) · 38 correction(s) detected
Running correction rate · 38 correction(s)
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Who wrote this

The Canadian Press
520 article(s) here · 1 carrying a prediction
🔮 A University of British Columbia creative writing professor says the woman who accused author Steven Galloway of sexual and physical assault gave a statement to police but retracted it a short time later out of concern they would contact him.
2026-11-03 · assertive framing · Galloway accuser reported allegations to RCMP but retracted statement out of fear, says professor
🔮 Insp. Jeff Tyre with the Conservation Officer Service said evidence at the scene where human remains were found suggested a bear may have been involved.
2026-11-03 · assertive framing · One dead, one missing in suspected grizzly bear attack in B.C.
🔮 Hockey Canada says it is still in discussions with the International Ice Hockey Federation on the impact that Russia’s reinstatement to international competition — and the blowback it has caused — could have on the upcoming world junior championship in Alberta.
2026-11-03 · assertive framing · Hockey Canada in talks with IIHF over potential impact on WJC with Russian return
🔮 But the Canadian defenceman says Russia’s return to international competition might be viewed differently by European players.
2026-11-03 · assertive framing · Weegar loves watching Russia play hockey, but says Europe may see it differently
🔮 A statement published on the team’s website around the same time announced King was leaving his job. “The Okotoks Oilers would like to thank Tyler King for his tireless efforts during his three seasons in our organization as Assistant GM, Business Operations,” said the June 2024 statement.
2026-11-03 · assertive framing · Former Alberta junior hockey executive charged with sex offences against players
🔮 Chief Fady Dagher will hold a news conference at 4 p.m. to address what the force is calling administrative dismissals.
2026-11-02 · assertive framing · Montreal police to fire seven after allegations of discriminatory, racist conduct
🔮 The designation means the project would be subject to a fast-tracked, streamlined regulatory process conducted by the federal major projects office, a move Tsartlip First Nation spokesman Adam Olsen calls “reckless.”
2026-11-02 · assertive framing · B.C. First Nations challenge Ottawa’s decision to fast-track Pacific Link pipeline
🔮 TORONTO - Finance Minister Francois-Philippe Champagne says the federal budget he will table later this week is about “changing Canada’s growth model.”
2026-11-02 · assertive framing · Federal budget is about 'changing Canada's growth model,' finance minister says
🔮 The Canadians would cruise to the finish line unchallenged after both the Netherlands and South Korea fell without contact with eight laps remaining.
2026-11-02 · assertive framing · Canadian skaters pocket nine medals at Short Track World Tour in Montreal
🔮 Bianca Andreescu will be packing some extra bling on her trip home from Mexico.
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Wire or desk byline, not an individual reporter.
Also by The Canadian Press
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2026-11-03 · The Globe and Mail
One dead, one missing in suspected grizzly bear attack near Bella Coola, B.C.
2026-11-03 · Toronto Star
Weegar loves watching Russia play hockey, but says Europe may see it differently
2026-11-03 · Toronto Star
Hockey Canada in talks with IIHF over potential impact on WJC with Russian return
2026-11-03 · Toronto Star
Nothing else under this byline is closely related to this article, so these are simply their most recent.
All 520 articles by The Canadian Press →

Topics

A.B. RCMP University of British Columbia

Subjects

Galloway PERSON · 4× A.B. PERSON · 3× Lyon PERSON · 2× Annabel Lyon PERSON · 1× RCMP ORG · 1× Steven Galloway PERSON · 1× University of British Columbia ORG · 1×

Narrative

Lyon says those in the meeting were “absolutely shocked” over the allegations, recalling a discussion that while A.B. had reported them to police, she later retracted the statement out of concern the RCMP were going to reach out to Galloway and she felt unsafe.
framing: assertive · carried by 1 article(s) · first seen 2026-11-04
🔮 A University of British Columbia creative writing professor says the woman who accused author Steven Galloway of sexual and physical assault gave a statement to police but retracted it a short time later out of concern they would contact him.
2026-11-04 · The Globe and Mail
Galloway accuser reported allegations to RCMP but retracted statement out of fear, says professor · assertive framing

Claims (6 extracted, 1 hedged)

A University of British Columbia creative writing professor says the woman who accused author Steven Galloway of sexual and physical assault gave a statement to police but retracted it a short time later out of concern they would contact him. asserted
they → say → him
Annabel Lyon, who is now the director of the university’s school of creative writing, testified today in the trial where Galloway alleges he was defamed by the former student and others for publishing the unproven allegations. asserted
he → testify → allegations
Lyon is the first witness for defendant A.B., whose name is under a publication ban, and she told the court that faculty from the department met in November 2015 to discuss the allegations after the woman had relayed them to another professor. asserted
woman → tell → professor
Lyon says those in the meeting were “absolutely shocked” over the allegations, recalling a discussion that while A.B. had reported them to police, she later retracted the statement out of concern the RCMP were going to reach out to Galloway and she felt unsafe. asserted
she → say → Galloway
Galloway, the bestselling author of the novel The Cellist of Sarajevo, filed the lawsuit in 2018 against A.B. and several other defendants for statements that spread widely online alleging the assaults which he has denied. asserted
he → bestselle → which
He was fired his job as the creative writing chair and a former judge hired by the university later found the claims were unsubstantiated, while Galloway won an arbitration proceeding against the university in 2018. uncertain
Galloway → fire → 2018
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