HALIFAX — A task force that looked into Dalhousie University's response to dentistry students who posted misogynistic comments on Facebook is calling on the school to overhaul the way it handles complaints of sexism and inequality.
The three-member independent panel issued 39 recommendations in a report released today.
The panel says the complaint system should be changed to ensure they are handled promptly, fairly and transparently — and that the outcome is shared with the complainant.
The task force also suggests the university should set up an ombudsman's office, similar to those found at other universities.
The investigation was announced earlier this year after 13 dentistry students were alleged to be members of a Facebook page that contained sexually violent content.
The report does not assign blame or make findings of fact, but it says the culture within the faculty of dentistry "permits incidents of sexism and misogyny."
As well, the report found there remains distrust and suspicion among faculty and staff regarding the university's response to complaints about discrimination.
Dalhousie president Richard Florizone launched the probe to look into the culture, practices and policies in the dentistry faculty and the university as a whole.
Members of the Facebook page voted on which woman they'd like to have "hate" sex with and joked about using chloroform on women.
Reports of the offensive posts and the university's initial response prompted rallies, calls for expulsion and a demand by some faculty members for an independent inquiry into how the school handled the incident.
