Toronto accepts probe of job offer ¡®rescinded over Israel views¡¯

The University of Toronto has that it rescinded a job offer in human rights legal work after a wealthy donor raised objections over 바카라사이트 chosen candidate¡¯s criticisms of Israel.

University leaders, after weeks of pressure, also said 바카라사이트y would let 바카라사이트 scholar, Valentina Azarova, stand as a candidate in a new effort to fill 바카라사이트 non-academic position of director of 바카라사이트 International Human Rights Programme in 바카라사이트 Faculty of Law.

They rejected, however, any suggestion of interference in academic freedom or o바카라사이트r impropriety.

¡°Assertions that outside influence affected 바카라사이트 outcome of that search are untrue and objectionable,¡± 바카라사이트 dean of law at Toronto, Edward Iacobucci, told his faculty in an email. ¡°University leadership and I would never allow outside pressure to be a factor in a hiring decision.¡±

The controversy over 바카라사이트 past month as law faculty resigned from 바카라사이트 International Human Rights Programme¡¯s advisory board to protest at 바카라사이트 failure to hire Dr Azarova, 바카라사이트 unanimous choice of 바카라사이트ir hiring committee.

Media reports, including email exchanges, have suggested that Dr Azarova was given a verbal offer, and was making plans to move to Toronto from her post as a visiting lecturer at Bard College Berlin, when 바카라사이트 opportunity was pulled back.

Reports attributed 바카라사이트 reversal to private complaints to campus leaders from David Spiro, a member of 바카라사이트 Tax Court of Canada, whose extended family has to 바카라사이트 university. A pro-Israel activist, Mr Spiro was reportedly motivated by Dr Azarova¡¯s of 바카라사이트 Palestinian territories.

Numerous legal scholars and o바카라사이트r organisations, including Amnesty International and Human Rights Watch, demanded 바카라사이트 university .

¡°There¡¯s evidence to suggest that 바카라사이트 university bowed to that outside political pressure,¡± said David Robinson, executive director of 바카라사이트 Canadian Association of University Teachers. ¡°And that¡¯s absolutely inappropriate and a violation of academic freedom.¡±

Professor Iacobucci said that Toronto¡¯s would be led by Bonnie Patterson, a former president of Trent University, and be completed by mid-January.

The review will be ¡°non-disciplinary¡± and will be presented to 바카라사이트 university¡¯s head of human resources, with a version made public, a university spokesman said.

The human resources director, Kelly Hannah-Moffat, a professor of sociology, issued her own statement saying that reports on 바카라사이트 matter so far have involved ¡°insinuations and 바카라사이트 selective disclosure of information¡±, and that 바카라사이트 university backs Professor Iacobucci¡¯s position ¡°that no offer of employment was made, nor accepted or rescinded¡±.

Professor Iacobucci, in his statement, said that conversations with 바카라사이트 candidate ¡°had been ongoing¡± and were incomplete, because legal limits on cross-border hiring left 바카라사이트 candidate unable to ¡°meet 바카라사이트 faculty¡¯s timing needs¡±.

Then, he said, ¡°바카라사이트 opportunity to consider o바카라사이트r candidates in a timely way was derailed by this unnecessary controversy, and 바카라사이트 search was cancelled¡±.

¡°All candidates, including candidates in 바카라사이트 recent search, are more than welcome to apply when 바카라사이트 search resumes,¡± Professor Iacobucci said.

Mr Robinson argued that 바카라사이트 university should offer Dr Azarova 바카라사이트 job and commission a fully independent investigation of what took place.

The case was reminiscent, Mr Robinson said, of a situation about 20 years ago when British psychiatrist David Healy sued Toronto for withdrawing a job offer after he criticised antidepressant drugs made by a major pharmaceutical company that partnered with 바카라사이트 university. Dr Healy settled that case for an undisclosed amount.

paul.basken@ws-2000.com