Students petition controversial former MRU prof's University of Lethbridge speech

Article content

Some University of Lethbridge students and faculty are petitioning for the cancellation of a guest lecture this week by a controversial former Mount Royal University professor.

It’s a lecture the University of Lethbridge says will continue as planned Wednesday, despite concerns raised by the campus community over speaker Frances Widdowson’s views. Widdowson has espoused the benefits of Canada’s residential school system, rejecting the Truth and Reconciliation Commission’s conclusion that the school system was “genocidal,” and publicly said the Black Lives Matter movement “destroyed” her university.

Widdowson was fired from MRU in December 2021 amid heavy criticism both from inside and outside the Calgary university, while others lauded her as a champion of free speech.

Two petitions opposing the guest lecture had gained more than 2,500 signatures between them by Sunday afternoon, with organizers arguing the University of Lethbridge shouldn’t be allowing a speaker to share what they characterized as hate speech on campus.

“Hate speech really doesn’t fall within the scope of academic freedom, nor should it be allowed a platform, particularly at an institution that prides itself on its relationship to the Blackfoot people,” said Isabel Born, a music education student who was part of the group which organized opposition to the lecture.

Some faculty at the university also expressed their opposition to Widdowson’s lecture, including the Department of Indigenous Studies, which wrote in a public statement they condemn Widdowson’s “anti-Indigenous rhetoric” and “deplore the fact that she is being given a platform to legitimize that discourse on our campus.”

U of L cites university mandate to protect free inquiry, scholarship

In a statement published Thursday, University of Lethbridge president Mike Mahon said Widdowson’s views conflict with values held by the university, including its commitment to Trurth and Reconciliation Commission calls to action, adding the university “strongly disagrees” with assertions which minimize residential school impact.

However, he said the lecture would continue in alignment with the university’s mandate to protect free inquiry and scholarship.

“Guest speakers who are presenting on campus or to our campus community are afforded the same commitment to freedom of expression as members of our campus community, though the university does not endorse in any way the opinions and views of any speaker,” Mahon said.

“Members of the university community have the right to criticize and question views expressed on campus, but they may not obstruct or interfere with others’ freedom of expression.”

Widdowson did not immediately respond to request for comment from Postmedia Sunday.

She was invited to campus for the guest lecture by University of Lethbridge philosophy professor Paul Viminitz, an instructor who has faced discipline himself for using a racial slur in the classroom on at least one occasion. A Society for Academic Freedom and Scholarship letter acknowledged Viminitz’s use of the n-word during a September 2021 lecture, and defended it on the grounds of academic freedom.

Viminitz declined comment when reached by Postmedia Sunday.

Student protest, concurrent guest lecture planned

Also speaking out in opposition to Widdowson’s lecture was the University of Lethbridge Students’ Union. Nathan Crow, the group’s Indigenous student representative, said in a statement he was “appalled” by the situation, saying it negatively impacts survivors of the residential school system as well as Indigenous students at the university like himself dealing with impacts of intergenerational trauma.

“I support the notion of freedom of expression, but when that happens to discriminate a specific demographic of ULethbridge students, as well as support information and false narratives, this is not okay,” Crow said.

A planned student protest is scheduled to oppose Widdowson’s lecture Wednesday.

As well, another professor organized a concurrent guest lecture by University of Manitoba professor Dr. Sean Carleton on residential school denialism.

Amy Jackson, an Indigenous studies student also involved with organizing opposition to the Widdowson lecture, said she was heartened by student support for the petitions and protest.

“While our campus is a public university, we all band together at a time when we don’t want hateful rhetoric on our campus,” Jackson said.

jherring@postmedia.com

Twitter: @jasonfherring