MONTREAL
(CUP) – Documents from McGill’s Development and Alumni Relations (DAR), many of
which are marked “confidential” or “highly confidential”, were posted online on
Mar. 3 by the anonymous group McGillLeaks.
In
a statement on its website – which had no content remaining as of Mar. 8 –
McGillLeaks had announced its intention to release hundreds of documents over
the next three weeks, starting with the release of DAR documents pertaining to
pharmaceutical, biotechnology, and defense industries.
The
documents were available to download from three different hosting sites linked
to on the McGillLeaks website until Mar. 6, when the links stopped functioning.
The statement from McGill- Leaks was taken offline on Mar. 7.
The
first release of documents contained donor and corporation profiles,
correspondence pertaining to corporate funding, histories of corporate
donations and relations, and industrial partnerships – notably, a Memorandum of
Understanding between McGill and Canadian pharmaceutical company GlaxoSmithKline
Inc.
On
its website, DAR states that its “many programs and activities help the
university establish and maintain strong relationships with alumni, donors, and
potential donors.” DAR employees report to vice-principal (development and
alumni relations) Marc Weinstein.
In
its statement, McGillLeaks verified the authenticity of the documents on its
website and stated that the contents of the documents have not been altered.
McGillLeaks
outlined three goals for its public release of the documents: to provide an account
of a “corporate university’s inner workings,” to supply accurate information
regarding McGill’s relations with the private sector, and to create
transparency.
“While
not exhaustive in any sense, the documents are primary source material on the
university’s role within the competitive market, and how it conceives of that
role,” the statement reads. “We are cognizant of the fact that the methods used
by McGill are similar to those of many other ‘public research universities,’
and thus are relevant not only to those with an interest in McGill.”
The
university has a policy regarding safe disclosure in recognition of the “necessary
and valuable service” and of the “good faith reporting of improper activities
('whistleblowing')." The policy, approved in 2007, applies to all members of
the McGill community, and such reports will not be considered cause for
reprisal.
Under
the policy, an improper activity is “an act or omission committed by a [member of
the university community] that constitutes ‘Academic Misconduct,’ ‘Research
Misconduct,’ or ‘Financial Misconduct.’”
The
policy also states that, in all McGill activities, the university “seeks to
promote a culture based on honest, transparent, and accountable behaviour.”
It
is unclear what the relationship is between this policy and McGillLeaks’
actions.
In
its statement, McGillLeaks discussed its “leak” of documents: “We do not see
the leak and the new level of transparency it produces as ends in themselves.
These documents are only as important as your pursuant critical analysis and initiative,”
the statement read.
McGillLeaks
stated it would publish submissions of documents related to McGill that are “classified,
confidential, and/or not yet public.” The group advised any contributions to be
made anonymously and advised against contacting the group from the McGill
network.
On
the morning of Mar. 6, vice-principal (external relations) Olivier Marcil
released a statement to the Daily: “This breach of confidentiality is an attempt to
hurt the well-being of the university, and hurts individuals whose only intent is
to support our students and professors. We deeply regret this invasion of their
privacy,” the statement read.
According
to the statement, the university has initiated a forensic analysis “to
determine the source of [the] violation of our confidential files,” and warns
that they “will take immediate legal action against those who are responsible.”
“This
information is gathered under the standard professional practices of
philanthropy,” the statement continued.
The
same statement was sent by DAR to alumni on Mar. 5, but it was attributed to
Weinstein. The release of confidential files has raised concerns over the protection
of private information and general security in the campus community. In a Mar.
6 email to all staff and students, Marcil indicated that McGill has called the
police.
Both
the Daily and
Canadian University Press received letters from the university’s lawyers,
demanding that the sites take "immediate necessary measures to remove any
link" that redirects users to the McGillLeaks site. The Daily and Canadian University
Press have removed the links pending consultation with their lawyers.
//Erin Hudson, The McGill Daily (McGill University)
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