Toronto Metropolitan University: Faculty For Palestine

"The report is exhaustive in listing the relevant university codes and guidelines, including the Student Code For Non-Academic Conduct, which recognizes freedom of expression and peaceful assembly, provided those occur lawfully, without harassment, discrimination, intimidation or violence."

"The review meticulously details examples of members of the Students for Justice in Palestine organization engaging in intimidation and violence, in breach of that code, but Benotto's subsequent conclusions have been redacted."

"The published report includes Benotto's statement that TMU must be prepared to enforce its codes of conduct consistently, but the published version redacts her finding that those codes were broken repeatedly."

John Ivison, Investigative Journalist, National Post

 

"Your analysis fundamentally misinterprets the facts, leading to conclusions that are demonstrably incorrect."

"The measures are necessary to ensure that established processes can proceed fairly and appropriately, without compromising the rights of those involved."

"We will not compromise the integrity of ongoing proceedings by disclosing information that must remain confidential."

Toronto Metropolitan University, rejoinder to journalistic scrutiny 

Have questions about the external review or the university's next steps? Explore our answers to common inquiries. Toronto Metropolitan University

 

A review was undertaken by retired justice Mary Lou Benotto at the request of Toronto Metropolitan University, seeking to respond to criticism that it has permitted antisemitism to permeate its hallowed halls of learning, without taking any steps to put a stop to the propaganda, harassment of Jewish students and violent verbal expressions and actions seemingly condoned by some university faculty members by Students for Justice in Palestine, at the university.

 

Justice Benotto investigated the antisemitic incidents and produced a fairly exhaustive report, one that constituted a damning indictment of the policies of the TMU administration in failing to support breaches of its own code-of-conduct policies. The university administration responded by redacting the review that concluded with the observation that absence of clear enforcement of its own code contributed to tension escalation at the university through rampant expressions and incidents of antisemitism.

 

Instead of addressing the report and releasing it, the administration of the university decided to appoint another investigation to take place; in essence investigating the conclusion of the initial investigation. To that end, TMU president Mohamed Lachemi and his staff appointed former Ontario NDP premier Bob Rae as chairman of an implementation task force to study the Benotto review and produce a report of their own on that review by the following spring.

 

The task force membership includes a number of faculty members of the university along with others who have heretofore expressed opposition to one of the key recommendations of the Benotto report: adopting the International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance's definition of antisemitism. TMU must also be prepared, according to the Benotto report, to enforce its codes of conduct consistently. The Benotto report concludes that by establishing clear behavioural expectations to be enforced adequately TMU could solve its problem. 

 

Two events drew Justice Benotto's attention in her appraisal of the situation at TMU; one of which was Students for Justice in Palestine disrupting a Democracy Forum panel discussion on artificial intelligence where their operatives shouted "war criminals", "baby killers" and "murderers" at attendees, forcing the event to be cancelled. When a number of the activists were arrested, the protesters accused the police of "brutalization". Another incident off-campus sponsored by Students Supporting Israel was broken into by SJP protesters shouting accusations of "Zionist murderers"; the event cancelled, violence causing some hospitalizations and a few arrests. 

 

 

 

"Freedom of speech is not an unlimited right", stated Judge Benotto in her finding of a deeply polarized camps environment that emerged following the Palestinian terrorist attacks that took place in southern Israel on October 7, 2023. The university's Faculty for Palestine, listed as being present at the September 2025 protest, involves themselves by sending their students out to volubly protest and get arrested whereupon the professors claim the students are penalized for the simple act of protesting. 

 

Also in the review are references to faculty members denying or minimizing the Holocaust while leading discussions on how much violence is justified in support of the activities of supporting Palestine. TMU's sociology department issued a statement criticizing the university for the "systematic silencing of Palestinian and Arab students". A message from F4P in support of the pro-Palestinian student protests was circulated by the TMU faculty association which declined to distribute a response from a member of the Jewish Employees Community Network.

 

Should it ever come to this pass, the Ontario government recently announced its intention to cut operational funding to institutions failing to address racism and hate. The TMU efforts to place the Benotto report high up on a shelf, undisturbed until the next century might just qualify for that special attention and defunding.

 

Anti-Israel protesters hold a rally against Toronto Metropolitan University on April 30, 2024. Photo by Peter J. Thompson/National Post