Her advocacy for those who have experienced sexual violence at UBC began in January 2014. About two years prior, she says she witnessed inappropriate behaviour by a graduate student and alerted school administration to it. “When I first observed him, he was touching a woman without her consent, but not her breasts, ass, or head. So it was relatively ‘subtle’ even though her body language was extremely unhappy,” she says. The incident was reportedly not a one-off. The student, Dmitry Mordvinov, is accused of having assaulted at least seven women on campus. (None of the allegations have been proven.)

Kirchmeier approached UBC’s Equity Inclusion Office with what she witnessed. Mordvinov remained at the school, and she wasn’t satisfied with the response. In March 2016, Kirchmeier filed a complaint with the B.C. Human Rights Tribunal, as an individual and on behalf of anyone who has filed a complaint of any alleged sexual misconduct at the west-coast university.

It was not until CBC’s The Fifth Estate aired the episode “School of Secrets” on November 23, 2015, reporting on Mordvinov’s actions that the university took action. Mordvinov was quietly expelled. (Mordvinov told CBC he would be appealing the expulsion.) The women he is reported to have assaulted were not alerted by the school but learned of his expulsion through media reports. “I think it’s obscene that it takes an hour-long documentary to expel an abuser,” Kirchmeier says.

Now, Kirchmeier has become an confidant for women who have experienced sexual violence on campus. The majority of women who have come to her with their experiences and grievances against the school have done so because of media coverage. “Sometimes they reach out and then are not ready to continue, or it triggers them. Some have shared their stories and then moved on. It really depends,” she says. “We’re still figuring all this out.” Grievances reported to her, she adds, are from as early as the 1990s and they are “pretty continuous from that point on.”

Kirchmeier wants to see a system in place that protects students who speak with school administration about campus sexual violence. Too often in the past, she says, these complaints, and complainants, are brushed off. A Sexual Assault Response Team (SART), which provides comprehensive care to victims in crisis, is a reasonable request of the school by students, Kirchmeier says. “Nothing I’m proposing is out of the realm of what students request,” she adds.

The university says they do offer SART services, but they are only available through Vancouver General Hospital. Furthermore, the response team only provides services to complete a rape kit process.

Many survivors say UBC’s process, or lack thereof, has caused students who have experienced sexual violence more harm than good. “The attack itself didn’t make me a victim; this process has made me a victim of procedure and of bureaucracy,” Caitlin Cunningham, a woman allegedly attacked by Mordvinov on campus, told CBC News. “And I got lost in the mess of it all. I mean, the system is broken from start to finish.”

There is no precedent for what Kirchmeier is fighting for, and this is not a cookie-cutter case. The legal process is slow and she faces a university with an in-house legal team. Meanwhile, Mordvinov is back home in Russia. Since the university’s structure of command is intentionally unclear, there is no measure of accountability. “So if you look at the Equity office’s structure, it isn’t clear exactly what each person does,” Kirchmeier says.

In the meantime, Kirchmeier continues to advocate for sexual assault survivors. As a white woman growing up in the United States, Kirchmeier became interested in power dynamics. In the past she has worked with Planned Parenthood and acted in a production of The Vagina Monologues. She sees her current activism parallel to that of her past as it all pertains to body autonomy. Back at UBC, Kirchmeier says all but one professor have refused to support her case. Outside of the university, she has the support of her family, especially her mother. After graduating in 2013, Kirchmeier moved back home to Washington. She says that Vancouver is a company town, and one that is influenced by UBC. Living in Washington, she knows her employability will not be affected the same way others who are still living in B.C. may be. Because UBC has such a ubiquitous presence in the city, she says it’s hard to find a job when you’re critical of the school.

Kirchmeier is aware that it is difficult to be an activist, but she wants to rise to the occasion and honour the work of other women with this opportunity. She would like to see a university where women can fully access their education free of discrimination and violence.

A mediation session between Kirchmeier and UBC was held on October 24, 2016. However, the parties did not reach an agreement. The complaint process will move forward— and Kirchmeier is ready.

Gray, Kirchmeier, and another woman referred to as “Jane Doe”, who has been through a similar experience, are raising money for when they go to court. The Silence is Violence Legal Defense Fund is meant to even the playing field when it comes to court fees. As the group’s Indiegogo campaign page reads, “Our universities are multi-million dollar corporations. UBC recently announced raising more than 1.6 BILLION dollars.  Our universities have a team of lawyers employed to challenge our claims.” In the case of Jane Doe, the alleged abuser is a university professor, which means he is entitled to legal representation from a faculty association.

Since all women are students with precarious employment they cannot afford the same legal protection as their accused or their schools. In addition to the financial strain they continue to be re-victimized in the court system. All this knowing the odds are not in their favour. In the episode Gray’s lawyer says that out of an estimated 1,000 sexual assaults, only three are convicted. A lot of this has to do with victim blaming and the collective denial society has when it comes to the placating binary that bad things only happen to “bad”people.

On a positive note, since last week’s post, Dmitry Mordvinov was expelled, after several reports of sexual harassment and assault.

Donations to the Silence is Violence Legal Defense Fund can be made here.

A former This intern, Hillary Di Menna is in her second year of the gender and women’s studies program at York University. She also maintains an online feminist resource directory, FIRE- Feminist Internet Resource Exchange. 

Image from CBC’s preview of this week’s The Fifth Estate

For years the University of British Columbia (UBC) has told those speaking out against sexual assault to stay silent. “In January 2014, I reported a graduate colleague named Dmitry Mordvinov to the UBC for his unprofessional, sexual harassment behavior I observed,” writes Glynnis Kirchmeier on November 10 in a letter to colleagues, her former students, mentors, and friends. “I was told that the university would not speak with him, that as an alumna (of six weeks) I had no business taking an interest in the matter, and that I should be quiet.” After sharing her story about her report, Kirchmeier learned of other reported assaults and rapes made to a variety of UBC administration members, all involving the same man. Nothing had been done.

Alana Boileau, a resident in the accused’s on-campus housing described the misogynistic atmosphere she lived in (maintained through the alleged  behaviour of Mordvinov’s and others). In an article for Guts Magazine, Boileau talks about men threatening women, verbal and physical bullying directed at women, rape “jokes” (threats), and cases of rape.

“UBC stated that they appreciated my concerns over and over, but ghosted away when I demanded to know a plan or timeline for assessing Mr. Mordvinov’s misconduct,” writes Kirchmeier. “Meanwhile, he continued to travel using UBC’s money, and representing UBC at conferences as a scholar in good standing.”

UBC has since arranged for a Non-Academic Misconduct Committee Hearing. Kirchmeier says her report and the evidence of at least one of his alleged rape victims has been excluded. Three of the 20-plus committee members attended the meeting, which had no staff observer or official minutes taken. Until the UBC president comes to a decision, Mordvinov remains a student in good standing.

Monday November 23 CBC’s The Fifth Estate will lifestream an episode including their investigation into UBC’s response to the reports made against Mordvinov as well as rape culture, and how victims of rape are treated in court. The episode will include Kirchmeier.

A former This intern, Hillary Di Menna is in her second year of the gender and women’s studies program at York University. She also maintains an online feminist resource directory, FIRE- Feminist Internet Resource Exchange.