Author and former University of British Columbia (UBC) creative writing chair, Steven Galloway, has completed his testimony in his defamation trial in Vancouver. Galloway, who claims to have been defamed by the defendants for publishing unproven accusations of sexual assault, faced questioning from Glynnis Kirchmeier, one of the defendants representing herself in the case and participating remotely.
During the trial, the former UBC student interrogated Galloway about her involvement with an advocacy group for victims of sexual violence and harassment, as well as her communication with other defendants, including A.B., another former student who accused Galloway. Galloway expressed skepticism that Kirchmeier was not connected to the group, citing her presence on a fundraising page. He also recalled feeling disturbed by one of her tweets, questioning why someone he had never met would label him a rapist.
In a recent hearing at the B.C. Supreme Court, it was revealed that the next witness expected to testify is Ronna Syed, a producer for the CBC program “the fifth estate.” Galloway, who has been on the stand since the previous week, noted that Syed was the first journalist to contact him after the allegations emerged, to which he responded with a “no comment.”
Having initiated the defamation lawsuit in 2018, Galloway disclosed that several defendants have settled with him and issued public apologies. The author of “The Cellist of Sarajevo” contends that his professional reputation was tarnished by accusations of rape and sexual assault, despite being deemed unsubstantiated by a former B.C. Supreme Court judge’s report.
In a significant development from the trial, A.B.’s defense no longer asserts that she was assaulted by Galloway but claims that she reported the alleged incidents. Galloway admitted to feeling remorseful about having a relationship with A.B., whose identity is protected by a publication ban, although he emphasized that UBC had no prohibition against faculty-student intimate relationships, citing numerous other instances he was aware of.
