Are Students' Voices Really Being Heard at Lakehead?
“Were you silent, or were you silenced?”
Oprah Winfrey famously asked Meghan Markle this question during an interview in 2021, to which Markle quite somberly responded, “the latter.”
It seems as though students at Lakehead are feeling this same way. Silenced.
Since January 5th, two investigative articles have been published by CBC News exposing the unsettling experiences of female student-athletes at Lakehead University. Over a dozen people currently or formerly associated with Lakehead women’s basketball team have brought forward allegations of verbal abuse, maltreatment, and theft at the hands of the (now former) head coach, Jon Kreiner.
Among many disturbing allegations, numerous sources said that Lakehead University’s athletic department was aware of these complaints, namely the work-study thefts, and did nothing to protect student-athletes.
“One source said the athletics department was aware of the work-study thefts because she wrote down complaints about it on confidential, year-end athlete surveys [...] One former player said she never felt there was a safe space to speak out about the maltreatment she experienced” (Logan Turner, CBC Investigates).
The continuous silencing of concerns not only prevents any changes from being made but also discourages students from speaking out at all. How can an athletic department be aware of abusive behaviour, bullying, and the theft of thousands of dollars from students and do nothing?
This also calls into question the legitimacy of all ‘anonymous surveys’ at Lakehead. If the information disclosed in the year-end athlete surveys was ignored, how can we know that the same isn’t happening with the Student Feedback on Teaching surveys we are asked to fill out at the end of each term?
In the most recent CBC article, Whitney Bragagnolo, a sports integrity and governance consultant, commented on the integrity of investigations and reviews of this nature:
“She [Bragagnolo] also stressed the importance of investigations and annual assessments being conducted by independent third parties. It's important to consider who is funding these reviews and whether there are conflicts of interest.” (Sarah Law, Alex Brockman, CBC Investigates).
Will new leadership lead to change?
Recent announcements of incoming leadership at Lakehead leave some room for hope. On, January 20th, Lakehead University announced that Dr. Gillian Siddall will take over as president of the university on July 1st, 2023. In an interview with CBC Superior Morning, Siddall acknowledged the allegations against Lakehead Athletics and stated that “it’s an issue of great concern.”
“She said she'll do a broad review of Lakehead's programming after she starts, and it will include the athletics department, but she did not offer any other comments about the allegations against the team and Kreiner.” (Sarah Law, Alex Brockma, CBC Investigates)
Shortly after Lakehead announced the new president, Lakehead Athletics issued a media release to announce the hiring of a new coach for the Varsity Women’s basketball team. Starting June 1st, Hugo Bolivert, current assistant coach to Laval’s women's basketball team will become the new full-time head coach. Similarly to Siddall, Bolivert remained relatively reticent when asked about the allegations but did state his commitment to integrity:
“I can't speak to what happened in the past with the previous coach or anything like that. The only thing I do know, I have always held myself to the highest standard of integrity, and I'll continue to do that. And I'll expect the same from all my staff members and my players as well." (Alex Brockman, CBC News).
Hopefully, Dr. Gillian Siddall and Hugo Bolivert will follow through on their promises and take on their leadership positions with more accountability and integrity. Although the future may be more optimistic, students are still left wondering how the current Lakehead administration could ignore something that had such adverse effects on its own students.
The Argus gets the silent treatment
Since the publication of the first CBC article and the dismissal of head coach Jon Kreiner, neither the athletics department nor the university made a comment on the matter, citing that the university “does not comment on personnel matters." After the publication of the second CBC article on January 31st, The Argus reached out to Lakehead University and Lakehead Athletics for a comment.
Unsurprisingly, Lakehead University promptly responded to our request, stating once again, that the university “does not comment on personnel matters.” When asked if the university would comment on student matters, they reiterated that they “cannot comment.”
What kind of voice do we have as students if those making decisions for us aren’t listening? If Lakehead, the university we pay to attend, isn’t listening.
So, do students have a voice?
As a student, it's hard to decipher when and if you really have a say. After all, isn’t University just an endless cycle of paying tuition, attending lectures, and passing your classes until you eventually get a parchment with your name on it? Perhaps we are all simply meant to be cogs in the machine… but that can’t be right.
Students are the future thinkers, leaders, and changemakers of society. How could we not have a voice? We’re meant to break shatter glass ceilings, disrupt the norm, and have our voices be heard.
Since 1966, the eyes of the Argus have been watching, and we have been the student voice of Lakehead. Rest assured; we won’t be silenced.
If you feel like your voice hasn’t been heard while at Lakehead and want to share your story, contact The Argus by email at theargus@lusu.ca, or submit an anonymous comment through this Google Form.
Resources available for Students:
The Office of Human Rights and Equity
Thunder Bay: 5th Floor, Chancellor Paterson Library, Room 5012 and 5014
Orillia Office: Online via Humanrights@lakeheadu.ca
The OHRE provides service for both campuses. All members of Lakehead University can reach the OHRE.
ATAC Building, Room 5031
Phone: 807 343-8061
Email: Ombudsperson@lakeheadu.ca
This confidential, impartial and free service is available to all Lakehead University students, staff, and faculty
