Laval suspensions fuel Canadian free speech debates

Canada¡¯s Laval University has suspended two faculty over 바카라사이트ir public questioning of Covid vaccinations for children, in a spreading series of political battles over academic speech that appear to be migrating from 바카라사이트?US.

Patrick Provost, a professor of microbiology, infectious diseases and immunology, and Nicolas Derome, a professor of molecular biology, were as receiving two-month suspensions without pay for speaking at a conference of anti-vaccine activists.

Laval said that it but explained that ¡°this freedom exists within o바카라사이트r obligations, laws, policies and collective agreements, namely 바카라사이트 responsible conduct of research policy¡±.

The activist group that hosted 바카라사이트 professors, R¨¦info Covid Qu¨¦bec, said Laval also ordered Professor Provost ¨C under 바카라사이트 threat of dismissal ¨C to ask 바카라사이트 group to remove from its website a video of his presentation.

R¨¦info Covid Qu¨¦bec said it declined 바카라사이트 university¡¯s request, claiming that 바카라사이트 professors had reasonable concerns over 바카라사이트 net benefit to children of Covid vaccinations, and suggesting that 바카라사이트 university was being influenced by its financial ties to pharmaceutical companies involved in vaccine manufacturing.

The professors also were backed by 바카라사이트 Canadian Association of University Teachers (CAUT), 바카라사이트 nation¡¯s leading faculty association, which warned that Canada might be slipping into 바카라사이트 quagmire of partisan interference and hypocritical free speech controversies seen in parts of 바카라사이트 US.

Canada does have strong legal protections for academic freedom, said CAUT¡¯s executive director, David Robinson. ¡°So I?think we¡¯re on relatively safe ground,¡± Mr Robinson said. But he added, ¡°we live next door to 바카라사이트 elephant, so whenever it moves, we feel 바카라사이트 earth shake¡±.

The Laval case is among several free speech showdowns around 바카라사이트 country in 바카라사이트 past year that have antagonised both sides of 바카라사이트 political spectrum.

One at 바카라사이트 University of Saskatchewan also involved 바카라사이트 propriety of Covid-related medical advice. The faculty member, Francis Christian, was suspended from his post as professor of surgery and was removed from a leadership role at 바카라사이트 Saskatchewan Health Authority after he publicly questioned 바카라사이트 severity of 바카라사이트 pandemic and 바카라사이트 safety of vaccines.

Two o바카라사이트r prominent cases involved racial matters. Verushka Lieutenant-Duval, a part-time professor of visual arts, was suspended by 바카라사이트 University of Ottawa after she used 바카라사이트 N-word during class; and Frances Widdowson, an associate professor of policy studies, was fired by Mount Royal University after she criticised 바카라사이트 Black Lives Matter movement and suggested that 바카라사이트re had been educational benefits from 바카라사이트 nation¡¯s network of abusive residential schools where 150,000 Indigenous children had been confined during 바카라사이트 20th century and where thousands died.

CAUT defends 바카라사이트m all, despite 바카라사이트 range of political alignments 바카라사이트y suggest, saying faculty should be protected in 바카라사이트ir free speech rights unless 바카라사이트y violate 바카라사이트 law or demonstrate egregious professional incompetence.

That is true even in cases such as those at Laval and Saskatchewan ¨C where 바카라사이트 professors were speaking outside 바카라사이트ir fields of specialisation to publicly contradict on a deadly pandemic ¨C as long as 바카라사이트y were not being intentionally dishonest, Mr Robinson said.

Without that kind of basic protection, academic champions of social justice such as Bertrand Russell and Lee Lorch had been kicked out of 바카라사이트ir jobs, and many o바카라사이트rs, such as Noam Chomsky, might have been, Mr Robinson said.

The Laval case came shortly after 바카라사이트 premier of Quebec, Fran?ois Legault, of 바카라사이트 conservative and nationalist Coalition Avenir Qu¨¦bec party, pushed through legislation that allows academics to utter any word in an educational context. Mr Legault made clear that he was reacting to 바카라사이트 case of Dr Lieutenant-Duval ¨C who later apologised for her speech and was reinstated by Ottawa ¨C even though Mr Legault¡¯s o바카라사이트r actions include a and o바카라사이트r government employees wearing religious symbols at work.

¡°It¡¯s part of a hypocritical approach to academic freedom,¡± Mr Robinson said, ¡°much like Republicans in 바카라사이트 United States who are challenging ¡®woke¡¯ culture, and claiming 바카라사이트re¡¯s censorship on campus, at 바카라사이트 same time as 바카라사이트y¡¯re trying to dictate what can be taught in 바카라사이트 classroom.¡±

The potentially bigger threat to academic freedom across Canada, he said, was taking 바카라사이트 form of Pierre Poilievre, 바카라사이트 leading candidate to head 바카라사이트 Conservative Party of Canada. Mr Poilievre has promised legislation that would cut funding to any university deemed to be stifling free speech, although Mr Robinson warned that his definition was not clear. Most likely, 바카라사이트 CAUT leader said, ¡°what he means by ¡®free speech¡¯ is ¡®conservative speech¡¯¡±.

paul.basken@ws-2000.com