UBC law students accused of creating list calling out classmates breaking COVID-19 rules

Faculty with the University of British Columbia’s Allard School of Law have issued a warning to students after some individuals allegedly created a spreadsheet naming fellow classmates that had been violating COVID-19 health orders and protocols.

The issue was brought to light after an email was sent out by the faculty’s Career Services Office, and news of the sheet was first reported by the school’s student newspaper, The Ubyssey.

UBC shared a copy of the email with Daily Hive on Friday:

Dear 1L and 2L students:

Yesterday it came to the CSO’s attention that Allard Law students had created a spreadsheet of alleged peer non-compliance with current public health orders (gathered from social medial profiles/activities), apparently intending to share it with students/employers during the 2L recruit.

While the CSO initially understood this to involve 2L students, it now appears that 1L students are involved or are responsible, with the specific aim of disrupting the 2022 2L summer recruit this fall. Accordingly, and unbelievably, we are now in the position of having to share with 1Ls the same message originally sent to Allard Law’s 2L class yesterday (2Ls, you are receiving this message again as an update):

Any students involved in creating such a list are asked to immediately delete and destroy it and refrain from otherwise sharing the information (with peers, students at large, or externally).

While it is absolutely frustrating to see people skirt public health orders, public shaming of this nature is completely inappropriate and unlikely to lead to increased accountability or change in behavior. Rather, collecting and sharing your peers’ personal information without their express permission crosses both ethical and professional boundaries (and arguably violates UBC’s Student Code of Conduct). Aside from satisfying a vigilante urge, there is nothing helpful that comes from such a spreadsheet. You are all part of a community (both at Allard, and more broadly, within the legal profession), and are reminded of the importance of treating each other with kindness, compassion, deference, and professionalism. Failing do so will reflect poorly on you, and can have long-lasting consequences to your reputation within the profession.

Thank you in advance for your cooperation, and for your efforts to maintain collegiality.

Your Career Services Office.

The letter suggests that the spreadsheet was intended to disrupt summer career recruitment opportunities for students who were not following COVID-19 protocols. The Career Services Office notes that attempted shaming of fellow students “crosses both ethical and professional boundaries.”

Under current public health orders, indoor and outdoor private gatherings are banned across BC. Community events, travel, and some adult sports are also prohibited.

The restrictions have been in place since November 19, 2020, and will be in effect until at least February 5, 2o21.

On Monday, Provincial Health Officer Dr. Bonnie Henry said that more restrictions would be needed if BC’s coronavirus cases didn’t drop.

Health officials announced 514 new COVID-19 cases on January 29, bringing the total number of recorded cases in BC to 66,779.