Additional assault charges laid against former Dal and King's professor Wayne Hankey
Hankey already facing a sexual assault charge that was laid in February
A retired professor who had a long career teaching classics and philosophy at Dalhousie University and the University of King's College is facing more assault charges.
Halifax police said Tuesday that Wayne John Hankey, 76, has been charged with sexual assault and indecent assault for separate allegations from two different men.
The alleged sexual assault dates back to 1982 and the charge of indecent assault relates to multiple incidents between 1977 and 1979.
In February, Hankey was charged with a separate sexual assault charge relating to an incident in student housing on the King's campus in 1988. Hankey pleaded not guilty to that charge last month and has asked for a judge-only trial, which is scheduled for next year.
Accused in 1990
In late 1990, a former King's student and family friend of Hankey's told the Anglican Church he had been sexually abused by Hankey for two years in his late teens, from 1977 to 1979, including while he was a student at King's.
That accuser chose not to pursue criminal charges at the time, but an ecclesiastical court of the Anglican Church found Hankey guilty.
It's not clear if those 1990 allegations are connected to the new criminal charges announced Tuesday.
Police said the incidents for which Hankey is newly charged occurred on the University of King's College campus and at a residence in Halifax. Hankey was an employee at King's during that time.
Police said both alleged assaults were reported earlier this year.
Hankey began teaching at King's in the 1970s and retired from that university in 2015, but continued teaching at Dalhousie until the first sexual assault charge was announced on Feb. 1.
According to Dalhousie, Hankey "agreed to step back" from the one course he was teaching at the time.
Hankey is due to appear in Halifax provincial court to answer to the new charges at a later date.
New charges to fall under King's review
The University of King's College announced last month it had enlisted Toronto law firm Rubin Thomlinson to review the first sexual assault allegation against Hankey. On Tuesday, the university said the new charges would fall within the scope of that review.
In an email to the King's community on Tuesday, university president William Lahey said "more will be said after our independent review is complete, when we have the benefit of the reviewer's findings and recommendations."
"For today, we acknowledge these additional developments, confirm that the existing terms of the independent review are broad enough to encompass these further developments, and recognize those who have had the courage to come forward."
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