19-year-old U of M international student fatally shot by police
U of M seeks police investigation into former law dean Colton McKillop, staff The University of Manitoba has requested police open an investigation into former law school dean Jonathan Black-Branch. The decision follows a Law Society of Manitoba disciplinary hearing that found the former dean misused over half a million dollars of U of M funds during his term, including money taken from a university endowment fund supporting the law school’s Desautels Centre, which aims to foster research as well as collaboration between the academic, legal and private sectors, and of which Black-
Branch was chair and director. The university had not sought criminal or civil charges against Black-Branch until late December, despite allegations of financial impropriety that arose in 2020. The administration waited for the outcome of BlackBranch’s disciplinary hearing with the law society before moving forward, said U of M’s executive director of strategic communications Myrrhanda Novak. “We reviewed the decision, which noted ‘that even if the standard had been the criminal standard of beyond a
reasonable doubt, the Panel would have been satisfied that proof was sufficient,’” Novak said. The law society hearing reviewed allegations that Black-Branch misused funds to pay for meals, accommodations, education and travel expenses. Black-Branch went on leave without explanation in spring 2020 while the university conducted an audit in response to concerns raised by a whistleblower over misuse of funds earlier that year. Cont’d p. 3 / U of M
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photo / provided
Suspended nursing student’s motion ruled out of order at UMSU meeting Sarah Cohen, staff
19-year-old U of M international student Afolabi Stephen Opaso.
Kyra Campbell, staff
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he University of Manitoba community is grappling with the fatal shooting of Afolabi Stephen Opaso, a U of M economics student from Nigeria. On Dec. 31, 2023, police arrived at an apartment on University Crescent after an individual in the apartment called law enforcement, saying that Opaso was acting “erratically,” according to a public statement by Winnipeg Police Service (WPS). In a press conference, Winnipeg chief of police Danny Smyth stated that Opaso was found holding two knives. The situation ended with an officer shooting Opaso, who later died as a result of his injuries. The University of Manitoba Nigerian Students’ Association (UMNISA) said it seeks “truth and accountabil-
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ity” in a statement released by president Olivia Ifeoma Onyemaenu following Opaso’s death. In the statement, Onyemaenu said “we are saddened by the loss of one of our own,” and added that “mental health should never be a death sentence.” Members of the U of M community have expressed concerns as to why the officer used lethal force seconds after Opaso was instructed to “drop the knife,” as heard in an audio recording of the incident. Following the shooting, the Independent Investigation Unit (IIU) of Manitoba initiated an investigation into the incident. As the investigation is active, the IIU was unable to comment. Cont’d p. 3 / An
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A motion to release a statement concerning students’ right to freedom of expression and their right to use the advocacy services allotted to them was a heavily debated topic at the UMSU Board of Directors (BoD) meeting on Dec. 14. The motion, asking for UMSU to release a statement, was brought to the BoD by Arij Al Khafagi, former senior stick of the University of Manitoba Nursing Student Association. Al Khafagi was suspended in November over social media posts regarding the conflict in Gaza that were deemed antisemitic by the university. Al Khafagi outlined the contents of the proposed statement, which included acknowledging that a nursing student was suspended over posts made on social media, as well as “unequivocally and unconditionally” acknowledging and affirming students’ right to freedom of expression and their right
6 Editorial
to representation from the office of student advocacy. Al Khafagi also asked for UMSU to condemn the university administration’s “overreach on a student’s right to freedom of expression” and to denounce any threats of violence against any student. According to Al Khafagi’s motion, the University of Manitoba Faculty Association released a statement via email to all staff that supported “the right to free expression on our campuses.” Some board members took issue with the first clause in the statement which reads that “UMSU acknowledge that a College of Nursing student has been suspended for their comments made on social media,” citing that they needed to “see some-
8 Comment
thing tangibly in order to take action.” Al Khafagi said she was not able to show the images in question, but disputed the university’s allegations that what she had posted was antisemitic in nature and pointed board members toward a Free Press article and a letter to the editor in the Manitoban by Ben Baader, which described the posts. Debate over the motion lasted almost four hours, with the BoD entering in camera sessions multiple times before it voted to rule the motion out of order at approximately 1 a.m. on Dec. 15.
graphic / Teegan Gillich / staff
Arts & 12 Culture
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Snow long, 2023!
Embracing discomfort
Beat the boss
Paging BookTube
Reflection collection
Winter orientation events kick off the semester
UM film prof on academic freedom and Palestine
Games workers must continue to unionize
Reading resolutions for the new year
Student-led book to launch Jan. 19
January 10, 2024
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VOL. 110, NO. 17