Ryan Millet, Dalhousie dentistry student, still suspended
The 13th male student involved in the Dalhousie University dentistry school's Facebook scandal remains suspended because he did not participate in the restorative justice program, his lawyer said Tuesday.
Ryan Millet was suspended from clinic duties in Jan. 5 and from regular classes on Jan. 8, lawyer Bruce T. MacIntosh said. On Monday, the Halifax university said 12 male students who were members of the misogynist group returned to clinic duties.
"He is the only one of the 13 students who remains suspended. He learned of the lifting of the suspension of his 12 classmates through the media yesterday," MacIntosh said in an email to journalists on Tuesday.
Millet offered to join the restorative justice program, but "refused to acknowledge that he was guilty of blatant unprofessionalism" and the university would not let him participate, MacIntosh said.
MacIntosh said Millet has not been interviewed by university officials, but did testify at the academic standards committee hearings into the matter.
His lawyer said evidence there included several favourable letters from Millet's patients and calls to reinstate him from a female dental student.
Dean of faculty on leave
Meanwhile on Tuesday, Dalhousie University announced the dean for the faculty of dentistry had taken a personal leave of absence. No other details were given about Dr. Tom Boran's leave.
Dr. Ron Bannerman, the assistant dean of academic affairs for the faculty, will be the acting dean until the end of the term, the university said.
The controversy was publicized in December after CBC News obtained 46 pages of screen grabs from the Class of DDS 2015 Gentlemen Facebook page.
The lawyer said Millet's only involvement with the site was clicking "liked" beside a photo from a humour website. He later helped expose the Facebook page.
"He maintains he did the right thing in supporting the wishes of the victim. He says that the subsequent public circulation of the Facebook pages, by a party unknown, was a matter beyond his control or knowledge," MacIntosh said.
Dalhousie hasn't told Millet if he can graduate this spring and he's waiting to hear what the standards committee rules sometime this month.
"Ryan remains hopeful that the committee will vindicate his actions regarding his standards of conduct as a student," his lawyer said.
"He hopes the committee will acknowledge and legitimize not only his reporting of the hateful polls to the targeted victim, but also recognize his various earlier attempts to foster and encourage courtesy and respectfulness between and amongst both students and faculty."
Millet wants the suspension expunged to fully clear his record.
The 12 men and 14 women who did take part in the restorative justice program were allowed to resume clinic duties on Monday.
