UBC Okanagan ordered to pay $50,000 in sexual assault discrimination case

VANCOUVER — University of British Columbia Okanagan has been ordered to pay a former student $50,000 for discriminating against her based on her sex and disability in the way it handled her allegation of sexual assault by another student.

The B.C. Human Rights Tribunal says the university’s method of investigating non-academic misconduct exacerbated Stephanie Hale’s PTSD and caused her harm to the point that she couldn’t participate in the process.

The tribunal says that though the university had a high-level understanding of sexual violence and a commitment to support survivors, its response didn’t result in a reasonable investigation process or restore a “discrimination-free learning environment.”

The 132-page decision handed down late last month says the discrimination was very serious, involving a power imbalance and Hale’s “unique vulnerability.”