Diversity, Equity, Inclusion Shibboleths : Woke Mantra

"[I wasn't surprised at being fired, but shocked] at how much the university has deteriorated over the last year and a half for that to happen." 

"I was hoping that I was going to be able to work it out internally, but that seemed to be becoming more and more difficult."

"It became apparent that people could not tolerate differing points of view and were actively working to make me unable to function in the university."

"I knew things were being pretty poisoned, obviously, but I thought Mount Royal still was a university that valued intellectual exchanges."

"I tried to defend myself from that mob [academic mob harassing her on her stance on trans-activism and Indigenous issues], and then this led to all sorts of things that happened." 

Frances Widdowson, associate professor, economics, justice and policy studies, Mount Royal University, Calgary

"The university unequivocally supports academic debate and will always defend the rights of faculty related to academic freedom."

"However, academic freedom does not justify harassment or discrimination."

Mount Royal University statement

Frances Widdowson was a professor of policy studies at Mount Royal College. (Stuart Gradon / Calgary Herald)

 

A Canadian Senator, Lynn Beyak, was condemned, harassed and hounded for her statement denying that Canada was guilty of 'genocide' by instituting schools for Indigenous children in the 19th century forward, operated by religious orders, for the purpose of exposing native children to European ideas and academic studies and that for the most part, most children attending those schools had a sound, basic education enabling them to be independent and to become part of the larger Canadian community.

The Truth and Reconciliation Committee came to the conclusion that because the purpose was to 'take the Indian' out of these children and transform them to reflect European-based culture, the result was social-cultural 'genocide'. An opinion quick to be adopted by the government of the 21st century, with heartfelt apologies and promises that going forward into the future things would be different. Aboriginal voices, few as they were, that defended the schools were quickly silenced. Reparations went out to school 'survivors'.

 

Professor Widdoson had the temerity to disagree publicly with the conclusion that the residential school system was "genocidal", citing the fact that it gave Indigenous children an education that "normally they wouldn't have received". She believes that the backlash her statement engendered, an opinion that in Canada at the present time is akin to bloody murder in the wake of old cemeteries being found on schools' properties of children who had died over the years. Years when pathogenic diseases coursed through the general population taking their toll on children in the general population, but interpreted as the results of criminal neglect.

 

There were first-hand testimonies of adults who had attended some of the schools, describing inadequate food, loneliness, strict discipline, physical and psychological abuse -- and critics of the time expressing dismay over the lack of critical medical care of a vulnerable population.  All of which would be true. On the other hand, young people whom custom decreed must attend pricey, live-in private schools claimed similar trials and tribulations, levelling accusations of mistreatment, poor food, assaults; Britain's system of 'public' schools for children of the aristocratic strata included.

The former professor had taught at the university since 2008. In 2020 she declared the Black Lives Matter movement had "destroyed MBU" in its victimhood support strategies and emphasis on blaming present-day society for egregious social-cultural discrimination that occurred a century earlier. White privilege having motivated the condition of slavery. Blacks becoming the engine of agricultural and industrial economies. Handily overlooking the fact that in Africa, tribal antipathies led to some tribes using others for slave labour. And in North America there were also black slave-owners of other blacks.

The backlash that she was faced with over her opinionated remarks expressed in public, was also experienced by the university, horrified that one of its tenured professors would express such provocative and unwoke opinions -- at a time when liberal-left unctuousness to the insistence of Black Lives Matter groups censoring white society to the extent it demanded white society censor itself, and any institution, be it private industrial groups, halls of academia, government departments began falling over themselves to express their sincere apologies --  and would buck the trend, had them cowering.

The university, asked for comment on the matter, stated that since the case would be going to arbitration, neither the fired professor nor the institution would be commenting, but MRU did confirm that Widdowson "is no longer a faculty member", even while the school "will not be providing specific details on this personnel matter". So the university that practices academic freedom and "does not justify harassment or discrimination", is in effect condoning both, since it caved to one of its tenured staff being harassed and discriminated against. And went on to do the same to her in their august condemnation of academic freedom.

The petition at change.org to fire Professor Widdowson succeeded in persuading six thousand individuals to sign their petition. Which was more than sufficient for Mount Royal University administrators to feel justified in extracting themselves from a most uncomfortable position as an academic institution dedicated to disseminating the opportunity to acquire knowledge, to have an open mind, to learn how to think critically, to respect alternate opinions and engage in civil discourse. 

 

Frances Widdowson may not be a racist, but she made 'racist remarks' in the opinion of the opinion-makers and that is quite simply intolerable. Now, how likely is it that any other faculty members of MRU would be disposed to cry 'foul' and come to the defence of their former colleague, much less profess they may share some of her sentiments? At 'Rate My Professor', she influenced some students quite impressively with the quality of her teaching performance.  

"Tenure is basically a guarantee that the only reason you can be let go from your position at a university or college is for just cause — that is, you engaged in gross negligence or misconduct."  

"You can't be dismissed for your political views, your disciplinary views, your research, your teaching, as long as it conforms to professional standards." 
David Robinson, executive director, Canadian Association of University Teachers

Frances Widdowson had been an associate professor at Mount Royal University in the department of economics, justice and policy studies since 2008. (easyuni.com)