Music Student Returning to StFX After Years-Long Court Battle
/***Content Warning: The following article contains details which may be triggering to some. There is a list of resources at the end of the article. Please do not hesitate to contact any of these resources if you find yourself struggling.
Luke Letourneau will be returning to classes this semester after being acquitted of sexual assault in October 2020. Letourneau, who enrolled in the Department of Music at StFX in 2017, was suspended by the university’s Judicial Board in April 2018. He subsequently appealed the suspension, which was set aside and he was allowed to return to campus in September 2018 while the case was pending criminal proceedings.
The complainant was not informed of Letourneau’s return to campus, and left StFX upon hearing that he was back. Her experience was part of a series of events inspiring student protests that made national news, and eventually led to the review of StFX’s Sexual Violence Policy. Letourneau withdrew from campus shortly after, and StFX Vice-President Finance and Administration Andrew Beckett issued a statement apologizing for how the situation was handled. Letourneau was acquitted of sexual assault on October 16, 2020 and will return to classes at the start of the Winter semester to continue his degree.
“I am looking forward to resuming my education at StFX and am pleased that the university has welcomed me back,” Letourneau said in a written statement provided exclusively to the Xaverian Weekly. “The past three years have been very difficult for me. It was a great relief to me to be completely vindicated by the judge last fall, and I would encourage anyone doubting the outcome of the case to read [Justice Denise Boudreau’s] verdict.”
In that decision, Justice Boudreau found him not guilty due to Crown attorney Jonathan Gavel having “not proven one of the essential elements of sexual assault beyond reasonable doubt, i.e. the lack of consent.” Most of the trial revolved around the complainant's “memory gap,” which spanned the “most crucial period of the evening.” Justice Boudreau said that the memory gap was “entirely unexplained” and concluded “that the complainant, in fact, has not forgotten. She remembers the entire evening. She has chosen, in her testimony, to say she has forgotten.” That conclusion left the Justice with “serious doubts as to the complainant’s credibility regarding the events of that evening, including her testimony that she did not consent.”
Student Outrage
Despite the Court’s findings and Letourneau’s acquittal, many students are upset that Letourneau is coming back to StFX.
The case’s complainant has expressed her disappointment with StFX’s decision to allow Letourneau to return to campus. In a written statement provided to the Xaverian Weekly, she expressed the opinion “that StFX has once again chosen their image over student safety…. {Letourneau} was supposed to be my friend. He took what he wanted then continued on with his life while I was left to live in fear. I stopped eating so I didn’t chance seeing him at meal hall. I couldn’t walk anywhere without a key between my knuckles. My chest still tightens up when I hear certain songs. I still clench my fists if I see someone drinking a PBR. I never know what seemingly normal thing will send me into a downward spiral or panic attack.” She concluded her statement with a plea to the university to “do better, please.”
Talking to students on campus and observing social media, the complainant’s disappointment is echoed. Gabe Mink, a fourth-year Music student “acknowledges the rarity of false sexual violence reports as well as the even rarer occasion of the accused to be found guilty” and feels that the university’s current actions seem to disregard that information. “I feel for all the survivors and allies who are once again being let down by StFX,” he said.
University is Taking Measures
To avoid a repeat of the unrest of 2018, StFX has been reaching out to any students involved in the initial case through Zoom to inform them that Letourneau will be returning. Elizabeth Yeo, Vice President Students, shared in a statement to the Xaverian Weekly that “the specific matter involving Mr. Letourneau is one that the university has carefully reviewed, and in accordance with its policies and procedures, including the Sexual Violence Response Policy, Mr. Letourneau is eligible to return to the university to pursue his degree if he so chooses … the University has no basis for disallowing his admittance.” She also stressed that “StFX does not tolerate sexualized violence and has made considerable advances in education and prevention and its policies in recent years.”
StFX Students’ Union President Sarah Elliott told the Xaverian Weekly that “The StFX Students’ Union believes and supports survivors. Students deserve to feel safe on campus, and survivors deserve to feel heard,” she wrote.
It’s apparent that the perception of Letourneau’s return varies greatly. Many students and on-campus activists feel outraged, whereas StFX has no tenable reason to hold any odium towards Letourneau or exclude him from campus. It remains unclear how this news will affect the campus community or Letourneau himself as he continues his education.
The following resources are available to StFX students looking for support dealing with this information:
StFX Sexual Violence Prevention and Response Advocate
902-867-5601 | Bloomfield Centre 313D
The Antigonish Women’s Resource Centre
902-863-6221 | 204 Kirk Place, 219 Main Street, Antigonish | Monday to Friday, 9:00 to 4:30
StFX Health and Counselling
902-867-2263 | Bloomfield Centre 305
StFX Peer Support Program
Bloomfield 417 | Monday to Friday, 12:00 to 5:00 (Reopening January 25)
NS Mental Health Crisis Line
1-888-429-8167
Good2TalkNS
1-833-292-3698 | Text “GOOD2TALKNS” to 686868
