Full Breakdown
Steven Galloway Defamation Trial Highlights Email Rhetoric and Testimonies
By Drooid · · How we work
Core Event: Defamation Lawsuit Over Alleged Sexual-Misconduct Claims
Former UBC professor Steven Galloway is suing a former student, a former community-relations officer and three other defendants for defamation. The case centers on a 2015 mass email sent by student Chelsea Rooney that urged recipients to contact a Canadian Press reporter about “very serious and unproven allegations” made by a complainant identified only as A.B. The trial has featured testimony about the email’s tone, the handling of A.B.’s complaints, and the credibility of the parties involved.
Background & Context
- In November 2015 UBC suspended Galloway after A.B. filed a complaint alleging sexual assault and harassment.
- A retired UBC-appointed judge later dismissed the assault allegation but found that Galloway had engaged in sexual harassment, leading to his dismissal in 2016.
- A.B. is protected by a publication ban and previously admitted in a 2019 affidavit that she falsely claimed the CBC had vetted her story.
- Chelsea Rooney, a former creative-writing student, was asked to collect additional complaints. She later apologized, calling her conduct “serious and harmful.”
Key Figures
- Steven Galloway — former tenured professor and chair of UBC’s creative-writing program, plaintiff.
- A.B. — complainant under a publication ban.
- Chelsea Rooney — former student who circulated the November 2015 email and later apologized.
- Glynnis Kirchmeier — defendant representing herself, argues UBC’s handling created “downstream liability.”
- Stephen Bohnen – former community-relations officer who first documented A.B.’s 2013 complaint.
- Timothy Taylor – creative-writing professor who testified about a November 2015 faculty meeting.
- Ex-husband of A.B. – testified about A.B.’s alleged assault on a sailboat; name withheld.
- Justice Neena Sharma – presiding judge in the B.C. Supreme Court.
Timeline
- 2013 – A.B. files a sexual-harassment complaint; Bohnen records it.
- Spring 2011 – A.B. alleges Galloway grabbed her throat on a sailboat; Galloway denies it.
- November 2015 – Rooney sends a mass email urging anonymous tips; UBC suspends Galloway.
- 2016 – Galloway is dismissed after a university-appointed investigation.
- 2019 – A.B. admits on oath that she falsely claimed CBC vetted her story.
- 2024 – Defamation trial begins; testimonies from Woodruff, Bohnen, Kirchmeier, Taylor and A.B.’s ex-husband are heard.
Official Statements & Responses
- Galloway’s counsel, Daniel Burnett, read a transcript of A.B.’s statements.
- Kirchmeier argued that UBC’s handling made her belief in the allegations “reasonable.”
- Justice Sharma intervened when Kirchmeier’s line of questioning about UBC’s processes appeared tangential, keeping the focus on defamation relevance.
On-the-Ground Reports
- Cara Woodruff, a UBC graduate student, described the email as containing “inflated and outrageous rhetoric,” saying she felt “shocked” and “horrified.” She did not believe Galloway assaulted A.B. and urged the complainant to go to police.
- A.B.’s ex-husband testified that A.B. told him Galloway had put his hands around her neck on a sailboat and later said she would “destroy him.” He noted the allegations sparked a “firestorm” in the Canadian literary community.
Conflicting Reports & Gaps
- Nature of the alleged assault: Galloway maintains the sailboat incident is false, citing the boat’s size as making the alleged actions impossible. No police report was filed.
- Credibility of the email campaign: Woodruff called the email’s language “inflated,” while the former judge concluded the assault allegations were “unsubstantiated” but found harassment.
- A.B.’s claim about CBC vetting: Her 2019 affidavit admits the claim was false, creating uncertainty about prior media coverage.