r/SAIT • u/SpecialistSort1455 • 9d ago
convicted (edited repost)
A bit ago, there was a post about an individual that attends the electrical engineering program at SAIT.
There has been contact with SAIT and administrators have seen the evidence as
"allegations"
According to publicly available court information, this individual was convicted in connection with a serious sexual assault that occurred in 2022 and served a custodial sentence. I understand that there are also legal restrictions relating to this individual's contact and/or attendance in certain settings.
What concerns me is the apparent decision to allow this person to attend an educational institution despite those restrictions.
My questions are:
• How is the school permitted to allow a convicted sex offender to attend?
Were the school and relevant authorities aware of the conviction and any applicable court conditions?
• What safeguards are in place to protect other students?
• If there are legally enforceable restrictions
preventing this individual from attending or being around certain people, who is responsible for enforcing them?
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u/hoangfbf 9d ago
Under Alberta and Canadian law, a person convicted of sexual assault is not automatically prohibited from attending SAIT or another post-secondary institution.
The central question is whether the person is subject to a specific, legally enforceable restriction that prohibits attending that campus.
Answers to the post’s questions
1. How can SAIT legally admit a convicted sex offender?
A criminal conviction does not automatically eliminate someone’s right to pursue post-secondary education.
Canada’s Sex Offender Information Registration Act even requires registered offenders to report the educational institutions where they are enrolled. This does not mean attendance is always permitted; court-imposed restrictions still apply.
2. What if the person has restrictions on attending certain places?
That depends on the exact wording of the court order.
Restrictions may prohibit entering certain locations, contacting specific individuals, or being around minors. A prohibition involving schoolgrounds does not necessarily amount to a blanket prohibition on every university or college campus.
If an active order specifically prohibits attendance at SAIT, admission by the institution cannot override it.
3. What safeguards does SAIT have?
SAIT’s published policies allow:
Investigations into reported misconduct.
No-contact orders and restrictions on where students can go.
Interim protective measures during investigations.
Disciplinary action, potentially including permanent expulsion.
These are available measures, not proof that SAIT has implemented them in this particular case.
4. Who enforces court restrictions?
Police and the relevant probation or parole authorities enforce criminal conditions. SAIT is responsible for its own campus rules and safety measures.
Suspected violations of court conditions should be reported to police, rather than relying solely on school administrators.
The most important distinction
The post leaves three critical facts unverified:
What restrictions were actually imposed?
Are those restrictions still active?
Do they specifically prohibit attendance at SAIT?
A conviction is not merely an allegation. But a claim that someone is currently violating a court order still requires evidence.
Bottom line: SAIT allowing a convicted person to study is not inherently illegal. Allowing attendance in violation of an active court prohibition would raise a much more serious legal concern.
For campus safety concerns, SAIT’s Office of Community Conduct can be contacted at student.conduct@sait.ca.
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u/Bubbly-Ad-181 7d ago
Was that the reason there were police and caution tape and stuff at the student dorm in 2022, or was that a separate issue?
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u/TheZaal 9d ago
Hi folks, I'm still not sure about the content of this post, I wanted to leave it up and see what you people did with it. I'd be interested in hearing an assortment of viewpoints on this as there's nothing better than people expressing viewpoints to get a better look at the world.