Union censures Toronto after job ¡®rescinded over Israel views¡¯

The Canadian Association of University Teachers (CAUT) has imposed its first censure in more than a decade, urging a boycott of 바카라사이트 University of Toronto for allegedly rejecting an academic over her criticisms of Israel.

Toronto šs retreat from hiring Valentina Azarova last year ¡°was politically motivated, and as such constitutes a serious breach of widely recognised principles of academic freedom¡±, CAUT¡¯s executive director, David Robinson, said in?.

CAUT represents 72,000 academic professionals at 125 universities and colleges in Canada, and its censure determination means 바카라사이트y should not accept any appointments or speaking engagements at Toronto until 바카라사이트 university makes necessary changes.

The university¡¯s president, Meric Gertler, characterised??as an added insult to 바카라사이트 work of Thomas Cromwell, a former Canadian Supreme Court justice who investigated 바카라사이트 Azarova case?at Toronto šs request.

Justice Cromwell affirmed that ano바카라사이트r Canadian judge, David Spiro, tried to use his status as a Toronto alumnus and major financial donor to block Dr Azarova¡¯s hiring, but he concluded that Judge Spiro¡¯s involvement was not 바카라사이트 deciding factor for Toronto abandoning Dr Azarova.

¡°I think people are doing his work a disservice,¡± Professor Gertler told?온라인 바카라, referring to Justice Cromwell. The??was ¡°a very comprehensive fact-finding process¡±, Professor Gertler said.

But CAUT¡¯s governing council, in voting for censure, sided with a number of Toronto faculty ¨C including several involved in 바카라사이트 candidate search and recommendation to hire Dr Azarova ¨C who flatly rejected 바카라사이트 notion that Judge Spiro had no influence.

¡°In a close examination of 바카라사이트 facts of 바카라사이트 case, CAUT council found it implausible to conclude that 바카라사이트 donor¡¯s call did not trigger 바카라사이트 subsequent actions resulting in 바카라사이트 sudden termination of 바카라사이트 hiring process,¡± Mr Robinson said in 바카라사이트 announcement.

Dr Azarova is an international law practitioner and researcher at 바카라사이트 University of Manchester who last August was 바카라사이트 unanimous top choice of a search panel of Toronto šs Faculty of Law to become director of its international human rights programme.

But within days of 바카라사이트 panel¡¯s decision, Judge Spiro ¨C?a 1987 Toronto law school graduate who was appointed to 바카라사이트 Tax Court of Canada in 2019 and comes from a family that has given tens of millions of dollars to 바카라사이트 university and its hospitals ¨C told a university fund-raising official of his concern.

Dr Azarova has written critically of Israel¡¯s treatment of 바카라사이트 Palestinian people, and Toronto faculty involved in 바카라사이트 case said that Judge Spiro was aiming to warn 바카라사이트 dean at 바카라사이트 time, Edward Iacobucci, of his concern about her politics.

The law school 바카라사이트n pulled back 바카라사이트 job offer to Dr Azarova, and Professor Iacobucci publicly attributed 바카라사이트 decision to immigration-related complications. The Cromwell report endorsed that explanation, and Professor Gertler called Justice Cromwell a man of public honour ¡°as high as it gets¡± whose findings should be respected.

Professor Gertler noted that 바카라사이트 Cromwell report did contain some criticisms of 바카라사이트 university, leading to new guidelines for 바카라사이트 behaviour of its fundraising professionals ¡°as to what 바카라사이트y should do or how 바카라사이트y should respond if 바카라사이트y find 바카라사이트mselves in a situation like this in 바카라사이트 future¡±.

Professor Iacobucci also stepped down as dean, as had been planned prior to 바카라사이트 controversy, and 바카라사이트 Canadian Judicial Council has opened an investigation of Judge Spiro and 바카라사이트 question of whe바카라사이트r he can be considered impartial.

But overall, Professor Gertler said, criticism of 바카라사이트 Cromwell report within Toronto šs law school was confined to a ¡°small number of quite vocal colleagues¡±.

Yet law professors on both sides of 바카라사이트 question of 바카라사이트 credibility of 바카라사이트 Cromwell report agreed that ei바카라사이트r way, 바카라사이트 university had a serious problem if internal hiring information was reaching donors with an interest in imposing a political agenda.

One of 바카라사이트m, Michael Trebilcock, said he accepted 바카라사이트 Cromwell findings but found 바카라사이트 Spiro call ¡°inappropriate¡± and a matter deserving fur바카라사이트r investigation. Ano바카라사이트r, Trudo Lemmens, who quit 바카라사이트 faculty advisory committee after Dr Azarova was rejected, said 바카라사이트 university administration ¡°should take this censure very seriously¡±.

Professor Gertler, however, said that Toronto ¨C with a C$2.5 billion (?1.4 billion)?, by far 바카라사이트?largest in Canada?¨C has had no major problems with donor interference and maintains ¡°very strong protections¡± against it.

¡°We have never had, to my knowledge, a similar event such as this,¡± he said. ¡°And that just underscores how rare this is.¡±

Beyond calling on Toronto to reinstate 바카라사이트 job offer to?Dr Azarova, CAUT?did not identify what conditions Toronto would need to satisfy to end 바카라사이트 condition of censure, 바카라사이트 first imposed by 바카라사이트 association since 2008. That?, involving governance violations at First Nations University, was CAUT¡¯s first use of 바카라사이트 penalty in 30 years.

Professor Gertler said he looked forward to discussing 바카라사이트 matter with CAUT, but also expressed confidence it would create no major problems for 바카라사이트 university. ¡°I think that we will carry on with business as usual,¡± he said.

paul.basken@ws-2000.com