A message from President Lenton regarding the assault of a York student

Vari Hall at night

The following is an important message to the York University community from President and Vice-Chancellor Rhonda L. Lenton:

Last Wednesday, a York student was a victim of a serious assault near campus. Since that time, we have provided a series of updates on the situation as more information has become available.

The thoughts of the entire York community are with the injured student, and we are united in our hope for a full recovery as soon as possible. I also recognize and understand the significant emotional impact this incident has had on her friends and classmates. As a caring community, this event affects all York students, faculty members and staff.

I want to assure you that we continue to do everything possible to support our student. York staff have been to the hospital and will continue to visit. We are also assisting her family, who is now at her side.

We remain in close contact with Toronto Police Services and will continue to support their investigation in any way possible. York security has also increased its patrols on campus. If you have any information about this incident, I urge you to contact police at 416-808-3100.

Going forward, if you have been affected by this event, I encourage you to take full advantage of the support services and resources offered by the University:

For faculty and staff in need of support, please get in touch with the Employee and Family Assistance Program toll-free 24 hours a day, seven days a week for immediate, confidential help at 1-800-268-5211; TTY Service is available at 1-800-363-6270.

The Student Counseling & Development office offers personal counseling services to all York students. They can be reached by calling 416-736-5297 or visit http://counselling.students.yorku.ca/ for more information.

Services are also available through the Office of Student Community Relations (OSCR), see https://oscr.students.yorku.ca/, telephone 416-736-5231 or visit W128 Bennett Centre for Student Services.

As we receive more information, we will provide additional updates to the community.