More deceptive Ubyssey coverage of Dredyn Fontana's removal

Hey everyone! CK here ,the guy that sent you the really long email. As you may know the Ubyssey has just put out their article on Dredyn’s removal as Vice-President Academic and University Affairs, a mere 3 months after it happened. To be completely honest, my term as AMS President ends in just over 2 months and I have no plans to stick around in student politics. Besides getting a life, that also means I don’t need to care about tiptoeing around Ubyssey coverage anymore, so I get to take this opportunity to show the sort of deceptive quoting and biased coverage they regularly engage in. As someone who has spent a couple years in the EUS and AMS, you can really recognize when they’re treating their position as student journalists to cover up for their friends and promote candidates in the AMS Elections.
 
I’m so sorry to be dropping more word-vomit (at least I’m not emailing you this one) but I want to be 100% real with what I sent in response to the questions I was asked. I’ve copied verbatim the questions I received from the Ubyssey, the answers I gave, and what was printed in the article.

I’ve also linked the feedback report I solicited from my VPs in August (I originally did this as EUS President and found it really insightful so I decided to run it back in the AMS) with redactions made to remove the personal information of AMS Staff, which I also sent to the Ubyssey in response to their media request although they didn’t include it in the article. Since this was sent to the Ubyssey I have received confirmation that some information from it is not legally classified as personal information, and as such I have unredacted some portions to maximize transparency - the Ubyssey has also been sent an updated copy. This feedback report is referred to in the article twice: “Removed AMS VP AUA Drédyn Fontana is planning to sue for wrongful termination, alleging he was reviewed and removed out of retaliation for concerns he raised about President Christian 'CK' Kyle’s performance.” and “During the inquiry, Fontana wrote in an email to AMS HR that the VPs filled out a feedback report for Kyle in August, but many of their concerns had “remained unaddressed.” I encourage anyone interested to read the report and ask yourself if the 4 page long and absurdly mundane feedback report that I received or the 45 page long inquiry report AMS Council received led to Dredyn’s removal.

1. Can you please confirm if in September 2024, yourself and the four VPs at the time had a meeting regarding concerns around your performance. If so, what were the concerns and how did you address them.

<This answer is not included whatsoever in the article>

A meeting did occur on September 27^th, as a follow-up to a process initiated by me in which I had the four VPs meet without me there to compile a list of performance suggestions. This is something I included in my executive goals and the feedback provided to me is attached to this email, with redactions made to remove the personal information of AMS Staff. This report was presented to AMS Council in full on September 25^th, during my own EPA session. The meeting you are referring to was described to me as a follow-up to this process beforehand by Dredyn, referred to as “strictly professional and performance related”, and I was assured a formal document outlining feedback would be given to me for this follow-up. There was a brief discussion on performance, but I have been advised that without the consent of all Vice-Presidents involved I am unable to discuss it under BC Privacy Law. There was also a substantial portion of that meeting that was centered around my personal life which I have been advised I can discuss. In this portion of the meeting among many other items, Dredyn attempted to force me out of my position as AMS President, and included a series of threats as to what Dredyn would do if I did not resign as President. One explicit threat was that himself, Gavin, and Ayesha would resign if I didn’t resign – with Ayesha and Dredyn leveraging their connections in the Ubyssey to do to me what Dredyn did to “Jasper and Kareem”, referring to his removal of them as Student Senate Caucus Co-Chairs having explicitly given these Co-Chairs the threat of Aisha covering them poorly in the Ubyssey and covering the meeting where they’d be removed. I am happy to provide more information on this meeting if the Ubyssey is interested as it was not performance-related feedback and is not covered by PIPA. All individuals who served as an AMS Vice-President at the time but Dredyn have referred to their role in this meeting since it occurred to me as a “mistake” and apologized for it, referring to it as a “pretty harmful conversation” or worse.

2. Can you verify if you are or were in a relationship with AMS Councillor and EPA member Eshana Bhangu? If so, do you consider this could have been a perceived conflict of interest (COI) during the proceedings of the inquiry? Did you declare the potential COI to EPA? 

Cut to: <In his statement to The Ubyssey, Kyle said Fontana’s allegations of EPA-member conflicts were “a blatant attempt to obstruct the \[inquiry’s\] process.”>

Dredyn alleged for one reason or another that every single member of EPA was in a conflict during the proceedings of the inquiry in a blatant attempt to obstruct the process. If every alleged COI of Dredyn’s had led to the recusal of the individual named AMS Council would have been shrunk from 32 to 17 voting members, and the EPA would have shrunk to 0 voting members. I am unable to disclose these alleged conflicts on a case-by-case basis due to BC Privacy law. Although AMS’ Legal Council found her to be among those not in a conflict, Eshana voluntarily recused herself from the process. All potential conflicts between executives and members of EPA were disclosed at the first EPA meeting with its September composition (as you know, AMS Committee membership resets in September) which took place on October 4th, before the inquiry began and before the analysis of any feedback towards the AMS Executives. It is important to note Eshana is on the EPA committee as a result of her position as Chair of Governance Committee, as are all non-Executive Committee Chair - none of these EPA members nominated themselves for appointment to EPA.

3. The Ubyssey obtained a document titled "INQUIRY REPORT: DRÉDYN FONTANA VICE PRESIDENT, ACADEMIC AND UNIVERSITY AFFAIRS." It's 45 pages long. On page 29 there is a bolded “Summary of Inquiry,” and a quoted example of a finding states: “The EPA Committee finds as fact that: Drédyn made assurances to constituencies regarding securing FSI funding.” Can you please confirm if this document is the EPA report which resulted in the removal of Fontana.

<This answer is not included in the article – looks like Riley Huntley got the same question and his answer is included>

The contents of the document received by the Ubyssey cannot be verified without seeing the full document.

4. The Ubyssey also obtained a document titled "Office of the Vice President, Academic and University Affairs Transition Report 2023-2024." It is 37 pages long. On the bottom of the title page it says "Prepared by Kamil Kanji" in light blue. On page 2, it states “Over the last year as VP AUA, I have really had to pick and choose my battles, and you will have to do the same.” It appears to be a transition report. Please confirm or deny the validity of this document.

<This answer is not included in the article – looks like Kamil Kanji got the same question and his answer is included>

The contents of the document received by the Ubyssey cannot be verified without seeing the full document. I am under the impression Dredyn received a rolling transition with weekly meetings for almost the entire summer and continual updates to the document. I advise the Ubyssey to confirm the document isn’t a draft.

5. Can you verify whether you were interviewed as a witness during the EPA Committee's inquiry into Fontana's performance.    

<This answer is not included whatsoever in the article>

The Ubyssey is or ought to be aware of what Dredyn has threatened towards those who were interviewed during this process and should be aware of what they are doing by attempting to reveal them. To be clear, I was interviewed twice, as Dredyn’s manager, and I would be happy to identify any quotes of my own that came from those interviews.

6. During an AMS Special General Meeting, the VPs said they felt unsafe going to EPA with their concerns. Were you aware the VPs felt unsafe going to EPA and did you do anything to address this?

<This answer is not included whatsoever in the article>

This happened at a Special Meeting (not a general one). I was not made aware of these concerns before the meeting and was told by one former Vice-President who had served on AMS Council that she understood when Council votes unanimously [to inquire into Dredyn Fontana] that there’s something there and that she was not feeling unsafe. I am also not a member of EPA, had not been made aware of this alleged concern, and am not involved in any decisions made by the committee. EPA’s Acting Chair addressed these concerns in the meeting which the Ubyssey attended. The AMS’ Human Resources Department, myself, and the Executive Performance and Accountability Committee received no notice of this information prior to the meeting. In the feedback provided to me the month before the special meeting, the VPs indicated how they felt regarding AMS Council and its Committees. They stated that my “presence at Council has contributed to a more rational and calm atmosphere, and the dynamic within Council has been positive under his guidance ... his past experience as an AMS councilor presents a perspective on an ideal council dynamic that goes beyond the meeting space. He has been known to encourage staying after council sessions to get food or drinks with him to create a closer council dynamic when possible. He is attuned to what councillors need and makes an effort to meet with them regularly, ensuring that their concerns are addressed and their voices heard.” I did not receive feedback to contradict this.

7. According to AMS code, only the president and directing manager can contact the society’s lawyers without a resolution. Do you think this creates a power imbalance between yourself and other executives and members of Council?

Cut to: <In his statement, Kyle said “There is an inherent power imbalance between any manager and their direct report. Council manages me and I manage the Vice-Presidents –this is much like every other workplace." Kyle also said the AMS offered to reimburse Fontana for his legal fees “should he choose to seek legal counsel on his own while going through the inquiry process.” The AMS also offered resources such as the UBC Ombudsperson to Fontana. Fontana confirmed this occurred.> Tbh this might be the only accurate quote in the article.

AMS Council may authorize contact with the lawyers with a simple resolution. AMS Council, the AMS President, or the Managing Director may also designate someone to contact legal, as was done with the EPA Chair and Acting Chair to support with and ensure procedural fairness during the inquiry.

The same power imbalance between the President and the Vice-Presidents exists as that between the President and Council. There is an inherent power imbalance between any manager and their direct report. Council manages me and I manage the Vice-Presidents – this is much like every other workplace, as well as virtually other student organization on campus.

I would also like to highlight that the AMS offered Dredyn the opportunity to be reimbursed for his legal fees should he choose to seek legal counsel on his own while going through the inquiry process.  The AMS encouraged Dredyn to seek this representation and offered the UBC Ombudsperson as a resource as well. The reason Dredyn was unable to contact the AMS’ own Legal Counsel during the process is that AMS Legal Counsel is bound to giving legal opinions in the best interest of the society, and as such was unable to act in Dredyn’s personal best interest.

8. How would you describe the work environment within the AMS offices? 

<This answer is not included whatsoever in the article>

Serving students in this role is a privilege. The work environment can be demanding, as students are responsible for managing a complex $30 million non-profit organization that provides essential services for students. However, a range of support systems is in place to assist staff and ensure they have the resources needed to succeed.

To quote my own Vice-Presidents in their feedback report I requested, which each of them signed before providing it to me, “Another positive aspect of CK’s leadership is his openness and ability to step in when needed, offering support and advice to solve problems. No matter how busy his schedule may be, he consistently makes the time to meet with us when we need him. At the same time, by adopting a more hands-off approach, he demonstrates his confidence in our abilities to handle the tasks at hand, while still being available whenever we need his guidance. This respect extends not only to our work as a team but also to our individual roles, fostering a supportive and empowering environment. His leadership style is intentional and collaborative, leading to an inclusive environment. This includes the contribution of staff across executive portfolios, noting the importance of utilizing the open office to encourage collaboration.”

9. Did the AMS reach out to Fontana to ask whether he would give his consent to have the EPA Committee's report on him released to the public?

Cut to: <Fontana had since his removal on November 6, 2024 to give the AMS his consent to circulate personal information and that Fontana has not yet provided it. Kyle did not clarify if the AMS had explicitly requested Fontana's consent to release his EPA Committee inquiry report ... Kyle also made the unsubstantiated claim that The Ubyssey purposely delayed publishing this story on Fontana's removal to align with the AMS Elections All-Candidates meeting as to "align with \[Fontana's\] running for AMS President.">

The former Vice-President Academic and University Affairs has had 100 days since his removal on November 6th 2024 to give the AMS his consent for us to circulate his personal information and is well aware that he has not provided it. The Ubyssey has also waited 100 days to report on this aligning their article to immediately prior to the All-Candidates meeting for the upcoming AMS General Election. Both Dredyn and the Ubyssey are aware this timing is purposeful to align with Dredyn’s running for AMS President. We have yet to receive consent from Dredyn Fontana to release his personal information.

Thanks so much to anyone who made it this far through yet another wall of text about AMS drama and hope your reading break is off to a good start! Going forward I’m going to do my best to make these media responses public info so that people can know what the actual answers to the Ubyssey’s questions are. I strongly encourage everyone else the Ubyssey interviewed for this article to publish their full answers as well – I suspect they were quoted just as selectively. Also sorry in advance but I don’t think I’ll have time to engage much with the comments, apparently, I’m getting sued.