McGill bars parolee convicted of murder and assault from campus despite student petition

McGill University has barred parolee Jeffrey George Ewert from its campus, prompting a petition signed by more than 120 current and former law students calling for his return. The dispute centres on student safety, rehabilitation and the effects of colonialism on Indigenous people in the criminal justice system.

Ewert, now in his 60s, was imprisoned for about four decades after murdering a woman and assaulting a 15-year-old girl, who was left quadriplegic, in 1984. Parole documents reportedly put his reoffending risk between moderate and high, though supervision and clinical follow-up were said to lower it; he also breached release conditions multiple times in 2025, including limits on contact with women. Students who support his return say his crimes do not excuse the university’s response, while recognising concerns raised by women on campus.