Convicted killer no longer enrolled at McGill after admission controversy - CBC
McGill University provost Angela Campbell told students and staff that the school is committed to dignity and to second chances. (Ivanoh Demers/Radio-Canada)Social SharingMcGill University is reviewing its admissions procedures after a convicted murderer on day parole was admitted to its Faculty of Law, with the university confirming that the individual is no longer enrolled.
"McGill's principal obligation is our duty of care to everyone who learns, works and lives on our campuses," McGill provost Angela Campbell wrote in a letter on Monday addressed to students and colleagues.
"Each student and colleague deserves a learning and research environment that is safe, respectful, inclusive, and conducive to their flourishing and success."
The man in question, Jeffrey George Ewert, was convicted of second-degree murder and attempted murder for two attacks in British Columbia in 1984.
He sexually assaulted and killed one woman and, less than six weeks later, beat and choked a 15-year-old so severely that she was left paralyzed and disabled for life, according to a summary of his case in his parole board file.
He was granted day parole in 2025 and began attending classes and faculty events at McGill in August 2026, prompting concerns among some law students about their safety and the university's lack of transparency about his criminal history.
Last month, Ewert was returned to federal custody after his parole was suspended. The Correctional Service of Canada will complete a risk assessment and decide whether to release Ewert again on day parole or refer his case to the Parole Board of Canada for a post-suspension review.
It is not clear from Campbell's note whether Ewert was prohibited by McGill from attending, or whether he decided not to attend himself.
The provost's letter says only that the person is "no longer enrolled," without identifying him by name.
Ewert's attendance at McGill generated heated debate.
While some students felt the university had put them at risk, others argued that excluding Ewert from campus undermined his access to education and rehabilitation as an Indigenous man and a survivor of the Sixties Scoop.
On Monday, Campbell said McGill is "also committed to dignity and to second chances. We believe in rehabilitation and in educationβs power to transform lives. Accordingly, past convictions do not, on their own, bar anyone from studying here."
The university has initiated an independent review of its admissions processes and protocols, beginning with the Faculty of Law, she said.
Campbell said the review will assess whether McGill's admissions procedures are sufficiently rigorous and clearly defined, with findings and recommendations expected in several months.
She said law students have been under "considerable strain," with many facing unwanted media attention and tensions within the community over differing views on recent events.
The university is offering support to all students, including Indigenous students and survivors of sexual violence, "for whom I know recent events have been particularly painful," she said.
