Bestselling Canadian writer Steven Galloway refuted allegations of sexual assault made by a former UBC student in court on Wednesday, claiming that most of the details provided by his accuser were untrue. Galloway, who previously led the UBC creative writing department, is currently in a defamation trial against four individuals, including his primary accuser identified as “A.B.” The trial, ongoing at the B.C. Supreme Court, involves Galloway asserting that the defendants’ false statements have severely damaged his professional reputation. The accusations brought forward by A.B. are based on a 2016 UBC investigation report by retired Supreme Court justice Mary-Ellen Boyd, although A.B. herself is not testifying in court.
One of the incidents described by A.B. alleged that Galloway assaulted her on his sailboat in March 2011, which Galloway vehemently denied, stating that it never occurred. He particularly disputed the claim of attempting to push A.B. into a bunk, citing the impracticality of the boat’s layout for such actions. Additionally, Galloway rejected another accusation of assaulting A.B. in his UBC office in May 2011, emphasizing that the claim was entirely fabricated. He pointed out discrepancies in A.B.’s story, such as the mention of a hockey game streaming on his computer, which Galloway clarified was technologically impossible in 2011, as he was actually watching a Vancouver Canucks playoff game at a campus bar.
Furthermore, Galloway contested a separate allegation of sexual assault in his office following a department event in May 2011, asserting that any interaction with A.B. was consensual and that her portrayal of the events was inaccurate. Galloway revealed that he had a consensual relationship with A.B., who was older and married, spanning two years starting around 2011. The writer expressed shock at the unfolding of events in late 2015 when contacted by a CBC producer regarding the accusations, claiming he was unaware of the severity of the situation due to limited information from UBC.
Galloway recounted his dismay upon discovering that A.B. had shared a confidential disclosure letter with the CBC producer, revealing his personal anguish at being portrayed as a violent sexual offender by A.B. and colleagues within the UBC creative writing department. He criticized UBC for publicly announcing his suspension in 2015 without due process, attributing it to A.B.’s threats of a public scandal to protect the department’s image. Subsequently, Galloway was terminated from his position in 2016. Several defendants in the lawsuit have since settled with Galloway and issued public apologies, bringing some resolution to the legal proceedings.
