An associate professor at McMaster University has been dismissed from his position after an internal hearing committee found him to be in violation of the school’s code of conduct and conflict of interest policies.
The school says that Scott Watter demonstrated conduct that was “unethical, inappropriate and in some instances exploitative.”
Watter was previously arrested and charged for allegedly assaulting a student in 2020, but was later found not guilty in 2022.
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Despite the ruling, an internal investigation within McMaster University continued to toil.
On Monday, the school announced that it was severing all ties with Watter.
“This decision is on the grounds that his conduct and pattern of behaviour involving students was an abuse of his position as a faculty member, amounting to a serious and fundamental breach of trust,” reads a joint statement from McMaster Board of Governors Board Chair Jane Allen and school President David Farrar.
It goes on to say that Watter’s abused his position of power by repeatedly engaging in sexual relations with a number of students, “one of whom was in a vulnerable position and relying on him for support.”
In addition to the public statement, the university released several other documents outlining the process behind his dismissal.
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Some of the allegations made against Watter include engaging in a sexual relationship with a student he knew was engaging in self-harm, using research grants to hire a graduate student he had a relationship with, and using a dating website to seek out McMaster University students who were living in the Westdale area by adjusting his distance settings.
As such, the hearing committee ruled that Watter’s actions tainted any trust he once held as a professor and tarnished his ability to remain employed by the school.
“Removal of a faculty member is not a decision that is made lightly but it is critically important that the university is able to act to safeguard the safety of our students and all other members of the campus community, and to uphold the high standards of our institution,” reads the joint statement.