Jeffrey George Ewert is serving a life sentence for second-degree murder and attempted murder. In 1984, in British Columbia, he sexually assaulted and killed a young woman, according to his parole file. Less than six weeks later, he beat and choked a 15-year-old girl and left her paralyzed. Ewert denies that his crimes were sexual. He was in his 20s then and is in his 60s now. He got day parole in 2025, and this August he started taking law classes at McGill University in Montreal. CBC News reported the story on Friday. Students say he hasn't been on campus since early October, and McGill and his lawyer confirm it. On Friday, McGill Provost Angela Campbell told students their concerns are "legitimate." McGill says it's investigating and reviewing its protocols.

Students Had a Right to Know Who Was in Class

Some law students say McGill should have warned them about a classmate with his record.

Students found out on their own, and they're upset nobody told them. Several law students told CBC they learned about Ewert's past by doing their own research. They spoke anonymously. One said the secrecy was the main problem. Another said she panicked. She said she would have wanted a warning and an explanation of how the school would keep students safe.

His own parole board has worried about how he treats women. The Parole Board of Canada has raised concerns about his attitudes toward women. He has to report any relationship with a woman, and his case team can read his messages. The board added the message rule after he looked at women's social media profiles and used a dating site without telling his team. Students point out that most law students are women and that teaching assistants often meet students one-on-one. CBC also found Threads and Instagram accounts and confirmed they were his. On Threads, he commented on pictures of women.

But Going to School Is How Parolees Rebuild a Life

His lawyer and some classmates say education is exactly what rehabilitation is supposed to look like.

He's done what the system asked, and he deserves a chance. Nora Demnati, his lawyer and president of the Canadian Prison Law Association, said McGill knew his history and parole status when he applied. She said he's been open about his past and has changed. She said she was disappointed that he never got to meet students to answer their concerns. She said the social media posts were the kind of occasional slip-up you'd expect after nearly four decades in prison. Ewert has spent years fighting for prisoners' rights in court. In 2018, he won a Supreme Court of Canada case over the risk tests prisons used on Indigenous inmates.

Some classmates knew his past and never felt unsafe. These students told CBC they knew about his past and had good experiences with him. They see his studies as an example of why people deserve a chance after prison.

Canadian justice is built to release people who can change. Eric Sutton is a Montreal criminal defence lawyer who isn't involved in the case. He said that's a core principle: release people who can be rehabilitated, as long as the risk isn't undue. He said rehabilitation means letting people study and rejoin society. "We don't live in a perfectly safe society," he said. Alysha McDonald, an assistant professor of sociology at MacEwan University, agrees that education helps former prisoners rejoin society. But she says this case had too little oversight and balance.

McGill Says Privacy Law Limits What It Can Say

The university says a conviction alone doesn't bar anyone, and the law keeps student records private.

A criminal record doesn't keep anyone out of McGill. Campbell wrote that "a past conviction does not on its own bar anyone from studying here." A McGill spokesperson said Canadian universities don't usually run criminal background checks on applicants. The school won't say whether it knew about Ewert's record when it admitted him.

The school won't discuss his case, but it says it's reviewing its rules. McGill cited privacy laws for refusing to discuss his case. It has contacted Correctional Service Canada and says it's reviewing how it spots and handles cases like this. Sutton said he doesn't think McGill had a legal duty to tell anyone. He said parole authorities, not classmates, should act if Ewert breaks his conditions. The correctional service says it monitors parolees' activities, including school and social media, and will act right away if his risk goes up.

Where This Lands

Some law students say they deserved a warning about a classmate whose own parole board worries about how he treats women. Demnati and Sutton say school is how rehabilitation works, and some classmates say he never made them feel unsafe. McGill says privacy law keeps it from discussing his case, and a conviction alone doesn't keep anyone out. Ewert hasn't been back to campus since early October, and McGill hasn't said whether he can return.

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