Author and former University of British Columbia (UBC) creative writing chair Steven Galloway has completed his testimony in his defamation lawsuit trial in Vancouver. Galloway, who claims that the defendants damaged his reputation by spreading unverified accusations of sexual assault, faced questions from Glynnis Kirchmeier, one of the defendants representing herself in the case and joining the trial remotely.
During the proceedings at the B.C. Supreme Court, Kirchmeier pressed Galloway on whether she was associated with a support group for sexual violence victims and if she had been in contact with other defendants, including A.B., a former student who had accused Galloway. Galloway expressed doubts about Kirchmeier’s alleged non-involvement with the group, citing her presence on a fundraising page and his discomfort with a tweet from her labeling him a rapist.
The upcoming witness in the trial, as disclosed in the recent court session, is expected to be Ronna Syed, a producer for the CBC’s program “the fifth estate.” Galloway, who has been providing testimony since the previous week, mentioned that Syed was the first journalist to approach him after the allegations emerged, to which he responded with a “no comment.”
Having initiated the defamation lawsuit in 2018, Galloway has reached settlements with several defendants who issued public apologies. The acclaimed author of “The Cellist of Sarajevo” contends that his professional life was severely impacted by the rape and assault accusations, which he denies and were deemed unsubstantiated in a report by a former B.C. Supreme Court judge.
Furthermore, it was revealed in court last week that A.B.’s defense no longer asserts a direct assault by Galloway but rather focuses on reporting the alleged incidents. Galloway admitted feeling remorse over engaging in a relationship with A.B., whose identity is protected by a publication ban, highlighting that UBC did not prohibit faculty-student romantic involvement, citing multiple instances he was aware of.