Dalhousie University is putting the dentistry school scandal behind it. The men who posted or condoned the obscene material have apologized to the women in question and have had their apologies accepted. Much if the process seems vague and perhaps it is intended to be that way. But details of the callous process by which such things were publicly stated are interesting. The report concludes that the so-called Gentlemen’s Club in 2011 was created as a bonding exercise but that it turned offensive over the more than three years it existed. “Members sought to ‘one up’ each other in ways that were frequently crude in nature and aimed at shock value,” says the 70-page report. “(It) became a place to vent frustrations, often in unhealthy and at times extremely offensive ways.” The investigation found there were perceptions among participating students that racist, misogynistic and homophobic behaviour were not adequately handled, amid rumours of favouritism and un-professionalism. One phenomenon on campus will seem alien to most people who attended university in Canada. A student lounge at the school called “the Cavity,” had walls scrawled with racist, homophobic and sexist graffiti dating back to the 1990s. Students also signed their names and date of graduation next to the comments.
