A former professor at the University of British Columbia has been charged with secretly recording nudity on campus.
James Rupert, who was an associated professor of kinesiology at UBC until June 30, was charged on July 24 by RCMP.
It’s alleged Rupert filmed people earlier this year in a makeshift changeroom. The people involved were participants a study on physical fitness.
The allegations have not been proven in court.
In a statement, the university said the following:
The safety of our students, staff and faculty is a top priority for UBC and we take immediate action when any serious allegation is made. Where appropriate, we alert police and we cooperate with their investigations. Our policies also allow us to ban perpetrators from our campuses and to prohibit them from contacting members of our community. The university also makes sure anyone who has been affected by an alleged wrongdoing gets the support they need.
It is unknown whether the participants in the study were students or not.
Last week, UBC announced over a million dollars of investments to improve safety on campus, including enhanced outdoor lighting and educational programs. There were a series of sexual assaults at the university late last year.
University Detachment RCMP began investigating Rupert on April 16. RCMP Sgt. Drew Grainger said the charges were not released until now because there was no risk to the public.
“We were in dialogue with UBC immediately to ensure student safety,” he said.
Rupert appeared in Richmond Provincial Court on Tuesday.
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