Bestselling author Steven Galloway acknowledged his two-year affair with a University of B.C. creative writing student was “inappropriate, ill-advised and stupid” during testimony on the second day of a trial where this woman and three others are defending themselves against accusations that they later defamed him.
asserted
they → bestselle → him
Mr. Galloway told B.C. Supreme Court on Tuesday that he believed the relationship had ended amicably.
asserted
relationship → tell → Tuesday
And so, he said, he was surprised to learn shortly afterward that his former partner had filed a sexual harassment complaint with the school’s administration – an allegation which would eventually publicly explode and torpedo his personal and professional life.
asserted
which → say → life
“Without being crass, there was enthusiastic and ongoing consent at all times,” he said when his lawyer Daniel Burnett asked him about their sex life.
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lawyer → be → life
UBC’s announcement of a formal investigation of “serious allegations” involving Mr. Galloway in 2015 led to an online firestorm over the CanLit luminary’s rights to due process versus the rights of his alleged victim.
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announcement → involve → victim
UBC fired Mr. Galloway in 2016, but a retired judge hired by the university to investigate the complaint found that, on a balance of probabilities, it could not be established he committed sexual assault or assault.
uncertain
he → fire → assault
He was never charged by police.
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He → charge → police
In 2018, he sued nearly two dozen people for defamation, saying they had falsely claimed online that he had sexually and physically assaulted the woman.
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he → sue → woman
She is known publicly as A.B. because her identity is protected by a publication ban until 45 days after Justice Neena Sharma makes her final judgment.
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Sharma → know → judgment
Only A.B. and three other defendants remain: Mandi Gray, Dana Kagis and Glynnis Kirchmeier.
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A.B. → remain → ?
At the start of proceedings Monday, A.B.’s lawyer Arden Beddoes told the court she was withdrawing her defences of truth and fair comment – but not admitting she spread lies about her former romantic partner – explaining that she had tried to kill herself twice in recent months because of the stress of the lawsuit.
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she → tell → lawsuit
She is not testifying.
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She → testify → ?
During Tuesday’s afternoon court session in Vancouver, Mr. Galloway’s lawyer directed the 51-year-old to explain how the student first began joining him for post-lecture drinks with a fellow professor in one of their offices before the pair began a sexual relationship around April 2011.
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pair → direct → April
Mr. Galloway testified that he and A.B. initially had fun together, even if he now realizes their relationship was not appropriate given the power dynamic between a professor and a master’s student.
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relationship → testify → professor
“I’d never had moments where I thought this person’s not enjoying this relationship,” he said.
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he → have → relationship
After their affair ended in April, 2013, Mr. Galloway testified, they kept texting regularly and remained cordial.
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they → end → April
But his lawyer told the court that in July of that year A.B. filed a formal sexual harassment complaint with the university, alleging that Mr. Galloway repeatedly gave her several drinks of scotch in his office and propositioned her for sex.
asserted
Galloway → tell → sex
Upon learning of this complaint, nearly three years later during the university’s investigation, Mr. Galloway testified that he had two reactions: shock that she was complaining even as she was texting him regularly asking him to go to concerts and other social events, and a feeling that her allegations were ridiculous since their relationship had ended cordially.
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relationship → learn → concerts
He also testified how in 2013, he dealt with a similar sexual harassment complaint from A.B. against a visiting scholar.
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he → testify → scholar
She alleged the academic, who was a candidate for a professorship, had groped and choked her in an elevator while touring the campus, Mr. Galloway testified.
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Galloway → allege → campus
After hearing her account and her refusal to file a formal complaint, Mr. Galloway stated that he and two of his colleagues decided to do what they could to stop him from being hired.
uncertain
they → hear → him
“Shamefully, the three of us lowered our interview scores to the point where the candidate dropped out,” he said.
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he → lower → point
Mr. Galloway said he was about to go on stage in Dayton, Ohio, for a speaking engagement when UBC’s Dean of Arts first notified him he was being suspended in November, 2015, pending an internal review of an allegation of sexual assault.
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he → say → assault
He began his testimony detailing how he rose from an arts undergrad at his hometown college in Kamloops to become one of only a handful of Canadian authors with a New York agent, with lucrative speaking engagements across North America.
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he → begin → America
He had sold over a million copies of 2008’s The Cellist of Sarajevo across more than 30 countries and commanded as much as US$10,000 for an appearance, he testified.
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he → sell → appearance
All of that vanished when the university’s investigation of A.B.’s allegations of sexual assault became public, the court heard.
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court → vanish → assault
He is expected to testify for the remainder of the week.
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He → expect → week
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