Students petition controversial former MRU prof’s U of L speech

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Some College of Lethbridge college students and college are petitioning for the cancellation of a visitor lecture this week by a controversial former Mount Royal College professor.

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It’s a lecture the College of Lethbridge says will proceed as deliberate Wednesday, regardless of issues raised by the campus group over speaker Frances Widdowson’s views. Widdowson has espoused the advantages of Canada’s residential faculty system, rejecting the Reality and Reconciliation Fee’s conclusion that the varsity system was “genocidal,” and publicly stated the Black Lives Matter motion “destroyed” her college.

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Widdowson was fired from MRU in December 2021 amid heavy criticism each from inside and out of doors the Calgary college, whereas others lauded her as a champion of free speech.

Two petitions opposing the visitor lecture had gained greater than 2,500 signatures between them by Sunday afternoon, with organizers arguing the College of Lethbridge shouldn’t be permitting a speaker to share what they characterised as hate speech on campus.

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“Hate speech actually doesn’t fall throughout the scope of educational freedom, nor ought to it’s allowed a platform, notably at an establishment that prides itself on its relationship to the Blackfoot individuals,” stated Isabel Born, a music schooling pupil who was a part of the group which organized opposition to the lecture.

Some school on the college additionally expressed their opposition to Widdowson’s lecture, together with the Division of Indigenous Research, which wrote in a public assertion they condemn Widdowson’s “anti-Indigenous rhetoric” and “deplore the truth that she is being given a platform to legitimize that discourse on our campus.”

U of L cites college mandate to guard free inquiry, scholarship

In a assertion revealed Thursday, College of Lethbridge president Mike Mahon stated Widdowson’s views battle with values held by the college, together with its dedication to Trurth and Reconciliation Fee calls to motion, including the college “strongly disagrees” with assertions which reduce residential faculty affect.

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Nevertheless, he stated the lecture would proceed in alignment with the college’s mandate to guard free inquiry and scholarship.

“Visitor audio system who’re presenting on campus or to our campus group are afforded the identical dedication to freedom of expression as members of our campus group, although the college doesn’t endorse in any method the opinions and views of any speaker,” Mahon stated.

“Members of the college group have the correct to criticize and query views expressed on campus, however they might not impede or intrude with others’ freedom of expression.”

Widdowson didn’t instantly reply to request for remark from Postmedia Sunday.

She was invited to campus for the visitor lecture by College of Lethbridge philosophy professor Paul Viminitz, an teacher who has confronted self-discipline himself for utilizing a racial slur within the classroom on at the least one event. A Society for Educational Freedom and Scholarship letter acknowledged Viminitz’s use of the n-word throughout a September 2021 lecture, and defended it on the grounds of educational freedom.

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Viminitz declined remark when reached by Postmedia Sunday.

Pupil protest, concurrent visitor lecture deliberate

Additionally talking out in opposition to Widdowson’s lecture was the College of Lethbridge College students’ Union. Nathan Crow, the group’s Indigenous pupil consultant, stated in a press release he was “appalled” by the scenario, saying it negatively impacts survivors of the residential faculty system in addition to Indigenous college students on the college like himself coping with impacts of intergenerational trauma.

“I help the notion of freedom of expression, however when that occurs to discriminate a particular demographic of ULethbridge college students, in addition to help info and false narratives, this isn’t okay,” Crow stated.

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A deliberate pupil protest is scheduled to oppose Widdowson’s lecture Wednesday.

As nicely, one other professor organized a concurrent visitor lecture by College of Manitoba professor Dr. Sean Carleton on residential faculty denialism.

Amy Jackson, an Indigenous research pupil additionally concerned with organizing opposition to the Widdowson lecture, stated she was heartened by pupil help for the petitions and protest.

“Whereas our campus is a public college, all of us band collectively at a time once we don’t need hateful rhetoric on our campus,” Jackson stated.

jherring@postmedia.com

Twitter: @jasonfherring