Former McGill grad student from Egypt wins grievance against professor

By Anne Leclair
September 5, 2013 | Global News

MONTREAL – Amr El-Orabi has been back in Egypt since last November, when he left Canada after receiving an alleged death threat from his supervising professor. An investigation by McGill University’s grievance committee recently ruled in his favour. But the details of the decision and any possible sanctions against the professor are confidential.

“I did move on with my life but I still have the feeling that this person ruined what I was looking for,” said El-Orabi, who is pleased with the grievance’s outcome but hoped for financial compensation.

The 28-year-old had worked and saved up money for several years in his native Cairo to afford the $10,000 it cost him to come to Canada. He hasn’t ruled out filing a civil lawsuit to get his money back.

When Global News first disclosed the story in April, it sparked outrage and even a protest on campus.

. . .

The National Council of Canadian Muslims has offered legal advice to El-Orabi since his story first went public. The organization’s human rights coordinator is calling on Universities to do more to inform international students of their rights.

“They’re coming to a new country, they’re spending a lot of money to be here, they’re vulnerable, they don’t have families and the university really is their support system, so we hope this case will open the eyes of administrators to make some students know what to do should they face this type of situation,” said Amira Elghawaby….