The UTSU executive committee is calling on its board of directors to impeach its VP campus life following allegations of sexual assault.
In an online statement published on Monday night, UTSU said that “a public allegation” was made earlier that day against Akshan Bansal, current UTSU VP campus life.
“We have asked him to resign, and he has refused. We are now requesting that the board of directors impeach him,” read the statement.
UTSU president Ben Coleman confirmed the allegation was made in a Facebook post by Laura Arner, a student at U of T’s New College.
“I am a victim of campus sexual assault,” Arner said in the post, going on to detail a “hook-up ‘relationship’” with Bansal that Arner says took place three years ago. “After awhile, it went from consented hangouts at night, to him barging into my room whenever he needed, sometimes as late as 3 in the morning.”
The post continues, “Askhan Bansal tried to rape me. Did he succeed? No. Did he drunkenly assault me on the floor of Powell’s common room at 3 in the morning in 2012? Yes. He did.”
The Medium has not independently verified the claims and is following up with Bansal for comment.
“We, the Executive Committee, believe that the Vice-President campus life is unable to uphold the values of the organization and unable to fulfill his duties,” said UTSU’s statement.
According to a July article in The Varsity, Bansal has previously been under review for performance of his duties as VP campus life.
