A former Calgary professor says she will go ahead with a controversial lecture on the University of Lethbridge (U of L) campus this week, even though the school says it will not provide space for it.
Frances Widdowson made headlines in 2020 when she claimed that residential schools have educational benefits.
In 2021, he was fired from his tenured position at Mount Royal University (MRU) over allegations of workplace harassment and bullying.
His case is in arbitration and the MRU told Global News that the matter remains confidential.
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Widdowson was invited by a professor at the University of Lethbridge to give a class lecture on sparking disputes between students and teachers.
A statement from U of L President Mike Mahone last week defended academic freedom and assured that Widdowson’s ideology did not align with that of the university.
Francis met with Global News for the first time on Monday morning, as the lecture was still planned.
“I appreciate very much the fact that people are not going to repeal the thing, that the president is adamant not to repeal,” Widdowson said. “I think it’s a great victory that this has happened because there would have been other instances that would have been canceled.”
But by morning, the university canceled his talk.
LKU issued the following Updated statement:
“Today, I write with an important update to the statement issued Thursday regarding a controversial speaker who was invited by one of our faculty members to speak on campus,” said Mike Mahon, president and vice-chancellor. did.” “You can read that statement Here,
“In that statement, I addressed the value and need for freedom of expression and our strong commitment to it. But importantly, I highlighted that there are limits to freedom of expression. In assessing these boundaries, the University must be mindful of the safety of our diverse community.
“Over the past few days, and after learning of this lecture, we have sought guidance from people with considerable cultural, scholarly, regional and legal expertise, including ongoing guidance from the Vice-Provost, Indigenous Relations and others. We also get a lot of input from the communities we serve – internally and externally. This input confirmed that the claims that downplay the significant and harmful effects of Canada’s residential school system are harmful.
“In 2019, the university developed a statement that enshrined a commitment to free expression on our campus. Our statement acknowledges that the University should be able to reasonably regulate the use of facilities, time, place and manner of expression.
“In the context of this planned lecture, to ensure that our community is safe, the University will not be providing space for this public lecture to be held on campus.
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“The Blackfoot name of our university is Inniskim, which means sacred buffalo stone. We remain committed to the Truth and Reconciliation Commission of Canada (TRC) call to action. It is clear that the loss associated with this dialogue is an obstacle to meaningful reconciliation. is an obstacle.
“Indigenous people have played and will continue to play an undeniably influential role in shaping the University of Lethbridge we know today. Our ongoing commitment to providing a safe place for our diverse community, including our faculty, our staff, and especially our students, is vital in allowing us all to contribute to the growth and development of the University of Lethbridge.
Widdowson said his principles do not negate the harm of residential schools and spoke with Global News again after the cancellation.
Widdowson said, “The worst thing that is happening here is that indigenous peoples are being done a terrible disservice because they are being told that they are too fragile to engage in arguments that they disagree with.” Huh.”
Francis later announced in a Facebook post that she would instead present her lecture in the U-Hall Atrium.
“I will not back down; I will fight this to the end,” Widdowson said.
U of L told Global News Monday afternoon that it was not yet able to comment on Widdowson’s plans to proceed with his lecture.
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