Convicted killer attending McGill law school divides students over safety, 2nd chances

Some McGill Law students are upset that the university didn't let them know that they were going to school with a convicted murderer on day parole who is still subject to certain restrictions and that has sparked a debate over safety and second chances. Our investigative producer Leah Hendry broke the story. So Leah what can you tell us about this man? Well his name is Jeffrey George Ewert and he was convicted of second degree murder and attempted murder for two attacks committed in BC back in 1984. According to his parole board file, he sexually assaulted and killed one woman. Less than six weeks later, he beat a 15-year-old so severely that she was paralyzed and disabled for life. Ewart is serving a life sentence. He was granted day parole in 2025, and he's been attending law classes and going to faculty events since August. Okay, so when did the students you spoke with learn about Ewart's criminal past? Yeah, it It was just a few weeks ago and the students here asked not to be named for fear of repercussions. They're upset that the university did not disclose his violent history. More than half of the students in the law faculty are women and they felt Ewert's presence placed them in a vulnerable and dangerous position. If the school had warned them and explained what precautions were in place, they told me they would have felt safer and they also could have chosen how they wanted to interact with him. So what did McGill have to say? Well, I asked them whether the school knew about Ewart's criminal past and current parole status. And the university spokesperson declined to answer that question or any other questions about Ewart's specific case, citing privacy laws, but said criminal background checks are not typically part of Canadian universities' admission processes. Late in the afternoon, McGill Provost Angela Campbell sent out an email to McGill's community to reassure them. She said when information came to their attention after the start of this academic year that could compromise a safe learning environment, the university took measured, decisive action. A fair process that balances the rights and interests of everyone involved is currently underway. And she went on to say they're also reviewing at a systemic level how McGill identifies and effectively responds to situations like this one. OK, now we've learned that Ewart is not on campus right now. And why is that? Well, Ewart declined an interview, but his lawyer, Nora Dematti, says it's not because of any wrongdoing on his part. She said she and Ewart have no idea what specific concerns were raised to McGill. He applied to McGill Law with the help of many students, of law professors. And McGill University was fully aware of his history and his status and like where he comes from. And so and he never hidden himself about who he was. he has been very honest about his history, his parole status or his status as a parolee and his conditions. And did the lawyer address the student's concerns? Yes. I mean, she understands that some students are worried, but notes Ewart was in his 20s when he committed his offenses. And in the parole board of Canada's decisions about Ewart, he's partially attributed his past violence to his upbringing and a loss of identity. His birth mother was Métis, but he was adopted by a white family where he was reportedly subjected to abuse and discrimination. He's now in his 60s and his lawyer says he's a different man. She told me that she's quite disheartened that Ewart wasn't given an opportunity to kind of address these concerns himself with students potentially on campus. Okay we mentioned earlier that opinion is divided about Ewart's presence on campus. Who else did you speak with? Well I spoke with two other McGill students who supported Ewart and they too did not want to use their names for fear of repercussions, but they described their interactions with Ewart as positive. One of the students told me she never felt threatened or unsafe. And when I asked her what she thought about the concerns raised by other students, she said there's a difference between being uncomfortable and being in danger. Now, you looked over Ewart's official court documents and the parole reports, and what did they say? Well, Ewart was first granted day parole back in February of 2025. And while various clinical assessments ranked Ewart's risk of re-offending as moderate to high, official parole documents say with close supervision at a halfway house and clinical follow-up, that risk seems to fall more into the moderate risk category. Ewart is living in a halfway house. Although Ewart's case management team did not believe he posed an undue risk to society, the parole board did express concern about his interactions with and his attitudes towards women. His day parole was temporarily suspended in May 2025 because he'd contacted and collected the phone numbers of multiple women and after the counselor at his community residential facility took issue with his attitude and behavior. And Ewart's also been reprimanded by the parole board for a lack of transparency about his social media activity, not disclosing who he's been in contact with. But his lawyer said, you know, those occasional breaches are expected after nearly four decades in prison. Like give a chance, give the man a chance like that that's my simple answer like this is what rehabilitation is about and and it's not making people feel like they're alienated from society and an outcast and that they have to run like the city with in punk art like with uh something on their forehead saying like hey i just got out of prison Ewart's lawyer says she's waiting for clarification from McGill on next steps and she says Ewart is eager to continue his classes getting into law is kind of a continuation of the advocacy that he already did. He actually leads the Canadian Prisoners Labor Confederation as a group that advocates for labor rights for prisoners. Leah, thanks for this. Thank you.