A man who was evicted from his dorm at the University of Victoria after living there for more than 13 years without completing a class has lost his human rights case against the school.
Alkis Gerd'son was kicked out of his campus apartment in December, almost a year after losing a court challenge against the university's eviction notice. In a complaint to the B.C. Human Rights Tribunal, he argued that he was discriminated against because of his obsessive-compulsive disorder and post-traumatic stress disorder.
The tribunal dismissed Gerd'son's complaint on Friday.
"The university went beyond what it was legally required to do and took steps to accommodate Mr. Gerd'son after it decided to evict him," tribunal member Barbara Humphreys wrote in the decision.
Gerd'son graduated with a degree in education in 1997, but lived comfortably in a campus residence without completing any degree courses until the school began proceedings to evict him in 2008.
He told school officials that they were putting his life at risk and refused to move, even when they offered to help him transition to off-campus life. He threatened a "tragedy" if he were forced to leave.
Kim Hart Wensley, the university's associate vice-president of faculty relations and academic administration, told ctvbc.ca that Gerd'son is now living in an apartment near campus.
"We worked with him through our lawyers when he located some off-campus housing and then we provided some support on the day of the move," she said.
She added that she was pleased that the tribunal ruled in the university's favour, but described the conflict as "unfortunate."
"Obviously, the university would prefer not to be involved in such long, ongoing disputes," she said.
Neither Gerd'son nor his lawyer could be reached for comment.
