Vancouver Community College says it has updated its process for selecting Indigenous elders and knowledge holders after CTV News reporting revealed it had employed a man with a long history of sexual violence against adolescent girls. In an email to the campus community obtained by CTV News Thursday, VCC says its updated process “adds an additional level of vetting,” through consultation with the three Host Nations—the Musqueam, Squamish and Tsleil-Waututh—and Metis Nation British Columbia. “You may have seen VCC in the media recently in relation to a previous VCC contractor who provided blessings and ceremonial acknowledgements at college events, and cultural support to Indigenous students at VCC,” reads the message from Jessie Williams—VCC’s dean of Indigenous initiatives and a Squamish Nation member—and David Wells, the college’s vice-president academic and research and an MNBC citizen. Though the contractor is not named in the email, the college appears to be referring to John Walter Sam, a 61-year-old man with convictions dating back to 1982. He was designated a long-term offender in 2002. The judge who ordered that designation called Sam “a sexual predator who victimizes vulnerable children,” in his decision. Sam told CTV News his crimes are “in the past,” and said he was dismissed and paid out by the school, which offered him “no reason” for his dismissal. It was VCC employees who first expressed concern about Sam to CTV News, saying they had quickly and easily discovered his history of sexual violence after his sudden termination. CTV News asked VCC multiple questions about how Sam was vetted before being hired in February 2020, and whether any changes have been made to the hiring process. School officials responded with a brief 11-word emailed statement that did not address the questions in any substantive way. “This contractor is no longer doing any contract delivery for VCC,” the college said. Thursday’s email, which was not posted publicly, shares a few more details. “VCC received information from our Indigenous community members that was of concern to those members and in response to those concerns and the expectations as to how we support our Indigenous students, we made immediate changes to our contracted service delivery to reflect these increased expectations and ended contracts no longer compliant,” the email reads. “VCC’s previous approach to recruiting elders was developed in consultation with diverse Indigenous leaders and partners, consistent with practices used elsewhere in the sector,” it continues, adding that the updated process will provide “greater community knowledge, guidance and oversight.” Notably, the email does not say whether criminal background checks are conducted before employees are hired, saying only that the college’s “processes regarding criminal record checks are consistent with (its) legal obligations and responsibilities.” “The safety and well-being of our students, faculty, staff, Elders and the broader VCC community are deeply important,” the email reads. “We are committed to addressing these concerns with care, transparency and respect.” It concludes with links to resources for students and employees in need of support. With files from CTV News Vancouver’s Ben Miljure
