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The disciplinary prosecution he’s facing is “unprecedented and unfair” according to Ryan Millet.
The former member of the Class of DDS 2015 Gentlemen Facebook group which dominated the news earlier this year is asking for his suspension to be expunged and his reputation cleared. Meanwhile, his 12 former group members returned this week to clinical practice.
Millet, who first brought the offensive online material to the attention of his female classmates, remains the only fourth-year student still suspended.
A release issued this afternoon by Millet’s lawyer Bruce MacIntosh says Millet only learned the 12 other suspensions for his fellow classmates had been lifted through yesterday’s media reports.
Yesterday, a lengthy update from Dalhousie president Richard Florizone appeared online stating the men involved in the sexually violent Facebook group have “expressed remorse, taken ownership of what they have done, and recognized that they have harmed a broad range of people.”
An open letter from the 29 fourth-year dentistry students participating in the restorative justice process was also posted yesterday, attempting to provide some context on the last few months.
“Our silence has been interpreted by some as cowardice,” reads the section authored by the members of the DDS Facebook group, “as if we are hiding from our responsibilities. It has been very tempting to satisfy calls for us to say we are sorry. Doing so would have made us feel better, but it would have been self-serving if not based upon the hard work necessary to gain the depth of understanding required for meaningful and sincere apology.”
Another section from those female dentistry students who chose to participate in the restorative justice process states the “media fire” about the incident has been extremely hurtful.
“Many people (some with good intentions) have spoken about us and in the process often attempted to speak for us in ways that we have experienced as harmful, silencing and re-traumatizing. Our perspective and decision to proceed through this process has often not been honoured or trusted but dismissed or criticized based on the decisions or perspectives of others. We are strong, well-educated professional women with words of our own to explain what we are going through and how we want to proceed.”
As previously reported, at least four women in the fourth-year dentistry class (some directly targeted in the Facebook posts) objected to the restorative justice process.
Today’s press release states Millet initially received support and encouragement from many of his classmates for bringing forward the closed group’s posts. But he now feels there is an “underlying attitude amongst some within the Dalhousie community that he is partially to blame for the resulting adverse publicity and reputational harm that has accompanied Dalhousie’s treatment of this Facebook investigation.”
His lawyers argue the “prosecuting officer” at Dalhousie’s academic standards committee hearing testified Millet should have not shown the material to fellow classmates. Any concerns should have been directed instead to administrators.
“The prosecuting officer has testified that Ryan may have done the right thing by taking issue with the hateful polls, but did the wrong thing by allowing the targeted victim access to his Facebook pages,” today’s release reads. “Ryan has taken strong objection to that assertion. 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.”
The release (which you can read below) claims the hearing included unsolicited testimonials from Millet’s former patients speaking to his professionalism as well as evidence from one of the targeted female victims that Millet’s suspension should be lifted.
According to his lawyers, a ruling from the standards committee on Ryan Millet’s future will be made as early as this week.
Related Stories
“Gentlemen” may have a legal case against Dalhousie
The six Facebook posts that Dal suspended 13 students for
This article appears in Feb 26 – Mar 4, 2015.
If this situation isn’t proof that integrity has to be its own reward, I don’t know what would be. Mr. Millet, I wish you well, that you will be reinstated as you have requested, and I applaud that you honored your female classmate’s request on how to proceed in relation to the extremely offensive FB post. It seems clear that you have become a scapegoat in this, one that all to often seems acceptable in Canadian society: an American. I say this as an expat and long term dual citizen; it’s not fair, of course, but there is a strong anti-American prejudice in the Canadian psyche. I would also urge you to figure prejudice into the equation of your future decision making, and I would urge your attorneys who are not in a position to fully appreciate anti-American bais to try to consider this factor as well. I am not at all confident you will receive due justice. I would go one step futher, speaking as someone who did their postgraduate professional degree and training while living in Canada. I urge foreign born students seeking post-secondary education opportunities in Canada to be aware of xenophobia in Canadian society as a whole, and in Canadian institutions of higher learning in particular. It is subtle, often denied, and very very much a fact of life.
Contemptible. I hope some other school offers Mr Millet a place in its program; Dalhousie does not deserve him.
Meanwhile, I suppose, the woman-hating slimebags proceed along to get their degrees, right?
I will never go to a male dentist with a Dalhousie diploma on his wall… anymore than I’d send a kid to Catholic school. Those in power who protect sexual abusers are guilty of aiding and abetting.
What a pity that 21st Century Canada is still saddled with men like these.
Dana, this isn’t because he’s an American – that is a ridiculous assertion that perpetuates distrust and dislike between the US and Canadian folks.