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Meanwhile Dawson College’s administration posted a statement on its website saying it stands by its decision. Mr. Al-Khabaz was warned to cease and desist and failed to do so, leading to his expulsion, the statement said, calling the Post article “inaccurate.”

Richard Filion, the director general of Dawson College, did not respond to requests for an interview, but told CBC Radio that “We have to abide by this legal requirement not to divulge any personal information of any student. The story that has been reported by many media today … was relying on an incomplete version of what had happened and what had led the college to make such a decision. The other side of the story is related to facts that we cannot divulge.”

Last fall, the 20-year-old computer science student was working on a mobile app to allow students easier access to their college account when he and a colleague discovered what he describes as “sloppy coding” in the widely used Omnivox software that would allow “anyone with a basic knowledge of computers to gain access to the personal information of any student in the system.”

Mr. Al-Khabaz brought it to the school’s attention, and then ran a test to check that it had been fixed.

He said after the test Skytech accused him of a “cyberattack,” and the college expelled him for a “serious professional conduct issue.”

When reached Monday night, Mr. Al-Khabaz said he was still in a state of shock over how much attention his case has received, and humbled by the outpouring of support and job offers.

“If I can’t get back into Dawson [Taza’s offer] is certainly something I would consider,” he said. “At this point it appears Dawson has no intention of letting me back in, so I may have to look at all the other offers I have received and pick the best one.”

National Post