A StFX student would like to see the university take some more accountability when it comes to
St. FX Stadium
physical and sexual based violence.
Alyssa Spridgeon, an education student at StFX University as well as a former student athlete, helps facilitate Ways of Change sexual violence prevention and bystander intervention training for athletes, first year students, and other groups on campus.
Spridgeon said steps were made in the right direction, such as implementing new survivor centred sexual violence policies and the creation of a sexual violence prevention office. At the same time, she noted eight STFX athletes were arrested within the last six years for physical and sexual violence.
In order to ensure a more positive culture comes out of athletics and flows into the broader campus community, she feels the next logical step is an internal review of the athletics department. Spridgeon noted she would also like to see a reporting system in place so athletes, coaches, and staff can report misconduct, as well as more training for coaches, administrative staff, and faculty to better deal with these issues. She said a review would be a tough measure but an excellent way for the university to demonstrate its commitment to creating a more positive environment in athletics and the campus community.
Following the arrest of a student and former StFX athlete on four counts of sexual assault in April, STFX VP of Students Elizabeth Yeo issued a letter to the StFX campus. In the letter, Yeo stated the safety of students, faculty, and staff is a priority, adding StFX does not tolerate sexual violence and no member of the community is exempt from its commitment to sexual violence prevention.
The university implemented its first standalone sexual violence policy in 2016, with a new StFX Sexual Violence Response Policy coming into effect in 2020 after engaging the Canadian Centre for Legal Innovation in Sexual Assault Response to conduct a thorough review of the university’s policies, procedures and protocols related to sexual violence response.