Helena Friesen

Robinson rebuke reinforces negative assumptions about aboriginals

Just because investigative journalism sullies a local hero doesn’t make it less valid By Helena Friesen Photos by Eleanor Qu In Feb. 3’s column, Eric Onderwater asked the student body to “Leave John Furlong Alone.” Furlong, who has been accused of abusing aboriginal students during his stint as a voluntary teacher up North in the 70s, is also the former CEO of VANOC. Onderwater asks SFU students to ignore the laundry list of allegations against Furlong, which include his use of a leather strap on students, multiple accounts of sexual assault and his penchant for racist slurs. Onderwater accuses Robinson…

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