UPEI reacts to concerns about VP being at open house for staff and students

The University of Prince Edward Island says it was not aware a vice president who had been placed on administrative leave had plans to attend a town hall meeting earlier this week.

Some people at the meeting said Jackie Podger was sitting near the back of the performance hall but left after about 90 minutes.

The meeting, which was closed to the media, was meant for faculty, staff and students to discuss a third-party review looking into issues around harassment, discrimination and sexual misconduct at UPEI. The university sent a notice about the event to everyone with a university email, as well as posting the information on its website. 

In an open letter, the Canadian Union of Public Employees referred to Podger's attendance as "absolutely a violation of that purported 'safe space' where people were invited and encouraged to speak openly and freely."

CUPE said people at the meeting should have been told Podger was there.

The report stemmed from a review by Toronto law firm Rubin Thomlinson that supported allegations of a "toxic workplace" at UPEI, and said senior leaders contributed to that.

Podger was placed on administrative leave on June 13, the day before a redacted version of the report was released, although there was no finding against her in the version released to the public. 

"No one in the university administration was aware that Ms. Podger was planning to attend," a UPEI spokesperson said in an email to CBC News. "Further, we had no idea that she was in attendance until about one minute prior to the event beginning...

"We also learned from one of the participants speaking during the Town Hall that Ms. Podger had left the Town Hall early. We can't speculate as to why she left as the university did not communicate with her prior to the event, during the event, or after the event.

"We can confirm that after receiving the Rubin Thomlinson report, the university met with Ms. Podger and that she is currently on administrative leave, which means she is still an employee of the university. The university is unable to speak further on this employee matter at this time."

CBC News reached out to Podger for comment on this story but did not receive a response.