Woman in Simon Fraser harassment case is charged

VANCOUVER - A 28-year-old woman who once accused a swim coach at Simon Fraser University of harassment in a milestone case linked to the downfall of the school's president has herself been charged with criminally harassing a 52-year-old man.

Rachel Marsden, a one-time assistant to TV news anchor Connie Chung, made a brief appearance yesterday in provincial court where her lawyer negotiated her release after a night in custody.

A sombre Ms. Marsden agreed to terms that include the payment of $10,000 and agreements to not contact the alleged victim as well as members of his family.

She is also barred from posting any comment on the case on her Web site, or sending e-mail to anyone in name but her own.

Ms. Marsden's site, billed Rachel Marsden's Web Lounge, features a photo of the self-described ''broadcast journalist'' in a slinky dress, offering links to various sites.

The judge in the case, Jocelyn Palmer, barred publication of the names on Ms. Marsden's no-go list, including the alleged victim of the harassment. Ms. Marsden is also banned from discussing the case with the media.

Ms. Marsden's lawyer said outside court the terms would not present any challenge to his client.

''I don't anticipate that [she] has any desire to try this case in the press,'' said Ian Donaldson.

Mr. Donaldson said his client was ''anxious to have a trial'' in order to settle the issue and, referring to a group of reporters clustered around him, ''resolve the cloud that brings all of you here.''

Police said yesterday that Ms. Marsden was arrested on Nov. 20 by investigators from the police force's Criminal Harassment Unit.

Between October and November of this year, police allege Ms. Marsden had an ''intimate relationship'' with a 52-year-old man, but that Ms. Marsden began making phone calls and sending e-mails to the victim once the relationship ended.

In the mid-1990s, Ms. Marsden was at the centre of a harassment case at Simon Fraser University, located in suburban Burnaby.

In 1995, she accused swim coach Liam Donnelly of sexual harassment. The university fired Mr. Donnelly, but reinstated him two months later amidst quest- ions about Ms. Marsden's credibility.

Mr. Donnelly said Ms. Marsden was harassing him by sending him erotic photographs and e-mails.

In 1997, university president John Stubbs resigned after revelations that the Marsden case and 10 others had been mishandled.

Ms. Marsden left the university for two years, but eventually returned. She has since studied broadcast journalism, producing documentaries, writing editorials and commentaries. She was a production assistant at ABC-TV's 20/20 show and briefly worked in 2000 as an assistant to Ms. Chung.

In 1999, she was ordered not to frequent any location where her former criminology professor might be after he accused her of asking him out on dates.

A few notes ... the "52-year-old man" is a former radio talk show host whose family wanted the publication ban on his name ... when the writer refers to John Stubbs resigning as president of Simon Fraser University, he means that he was forced out after the extremely bad PR happening after the harassment tribunals were exposed as irresponsible kangaroo courts that the ever-so-PC Stubbs made no effort to rein in ... Rachel Marsden's website may appear to be conservative now, but she was a grievance leftist feminist as recently as 2000 ... does anybody think that Connie Chung would hire an unleftist? What does this tell you about the standards of websites like DebateUSA and PoliticsUSA? Some further reading on her past exploits is available here.

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