Cambrian College employee on leave following 'prentendian' allegations

Jonathan Migneault · CBC News

· Posted: May 16, 2025 9:24 AM EDT | Last Updated: 7 minutes ago

Cambrian College, successful Sudbury, Ont., alerted each of its employees successful an email sent connected Thursday nighttime that an worker is connected permission pursuing allegations they are a "pretendian."

A pretendian is simply a idiosyncratic who falsely claims Indigenous identity.

"We instrumentality these concerns earnestly and are looking into the matter," Cambrian College spokesperson Dan Lessard said successful an email to CBC News.  

"We besides admit the value of ensuring respectful and close practice of Indigenous identities wrong our community."

Lessard said the assemblage has started Indigenous-led discussions to make a verification process for Indigenous identity.

"This process volition person respect and attraction astatine its core, and we stay committed to moving successful concern with Indigenous communities to guarantee a thoughtful and accountable process," helium said successful the email.

Cambrian says its apical precedence is to enactment students and unit pursuing the allegations.

Cambrian has not released the employee's sanction and Lessard said the assemblage cannot stock further details astatine this clip retired of respect for the privateness of those involved.

In an all-staff email obtained by CBC, Cambrian College president Kristine Morrissey acknowledged that the "process of Indigenous verification is precise caller to the assemblage assemblage successful Ontario."

"A provincial-level workout is underway," she wrote.

"We bash expect that enactment to pass our efforts."