Miller will remain on TRU's board, senate
Adrian Miller isn't going anywhere.
The controversial Thompson Rivers University student-senator and member of the school's board of governors might have lost in the courtroom today (Jan. 20), but it appears he was able to save himself from being kicked out of school.
TRU administration notified the 26-year-old — who also happens to be suing the university — last week he would be "disenrolled" if he didn't pay an outstanding tuition balance of $539.71 by Jan. 20.
In response, Miller filed an application this week in B.C. Supreme Court seeking an injunction to stop the school from kicking him out — which would have also removed him from TRU's senate and board of governors, to which he was elected last month.
In court earlier today, a judge dismissed his application. That meant Miller had less than four hours — until the end of the business day — to come up with the outstanding balance.
After having his application tossed, Miller told KTW he was going to go try to find $539.71. He then spent some time on a pay-phone inside the Kamloops Law Courts, presumably fundraising.
While Miller couldn't be reached for comment later today, a TRU official has confirmed with KTW there will be no changes on the university's senate or board of governors.
"I can't speak to specifics due to privacy laws," said Christopher Seguin, TRU's vice-president of advancement.
"But, as of the end of the day today, we have a full board and senate. Our board and senate remain the same."
In his application, Miller claimed TRU administrators were attempting to kick him out of school because they didn't want him sitting on the senate and board.
In court documents, Miller claims TRU officials were "negligent" and mistreated him, causing him to lose the opportunity to receive student aid and placing his education in jeopardy.
The allegations go back to 2008.
Lawyer John Hogg, representing TRU, said the lawsuit is baseless.
"Pretty well every tort in the textbook has been pled [in Miller's statement of claim]," he said in court, while opposing Miller's application.
"Defamation and on and on — it's a broad claim with nothing backing it."
The ongoing civil action isn't the only legal issue on Miller's plate. He's also got a number of outstanding criminal files.
Last fall, Miller made headlines in the lead-up to the Nov. 19 civic election, first when he was arrested on an outstanding breach of probation warrant and spent a night in jail.
After being released from custody, he told reporters he was a member of the University of Northern B.C.'s basketball team in 2007, when he was arrested and charged with mischief in Prince George.
He was later convicted, placed on probation and ordered to pay $1,300 in restitution.
Miller claimed the mischief was the result of a team prank, committed alongside other UNBC basketball players.
However, KTW spoke to athletic officials at the school — who said Miller never played basketball at UNBC — and obtained court documents showing the mischief charge was actually the result of an incident in which he trashed his apartment while in the process of being evicted.
The court documents make no mention of any "teammates" or co-accused, other than claims by Miller that his girlfriend broke the window.
The documents also state Miller acted in a threatening manner toward a property-management employee at the apartment building by driving his car in the employee's direction.
Miller is due back in Kamloops provincial court on his criminal matters on Jan. 26.
TRU's senate is slated to have its first meeting since Miller's election on Monday (Jan. 23).
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