Global News reporter Rachel Gilmore said she wants to see a full representation of the tweets that led to prominent Canadian psychologist and author Dr. Jordan Peterson being investigated by the College of Psychologists of Ontario (CPO). .“For example, this piece fails to mention whether his professional association took issue with this one,” said Gilmore in a Wednesday tweet. .Gilmore included a screenshot of one of Peterson’s joking about Twitter CEO Elon Musk and his supporters making it impossible to find child pornography on it. .Peterson said on Tuesday the CPO is demanding he do a course about social media etiquette. .READ MORE: Jordan Peterson says Ontario psychologist regulator requesting he do social media course.“BREAKING: the Ontario College of Psychologists @CPOntario has demanded that I submit myself to mandatory social media communication retraining with their experts for, among other crimes, retweeting @PierrePoilievre and criticizing @JustinTrudeau and his political allies,” he said. .He said he has to take social media training, with reports documenting his progress. If he objects, he will face an in-person tribunal hearing and potential suspension or revocation of his right to practice as a licensed clinical psychologist. .Peterson wrote in a National Post column Wednesday the CPO levied multiple complaints against him since he rose to public prominence six years ago. .“This may seem like a lot (and ‘where there’s smoke there’s fire,’ or so people think), but I might point out that it is difficult to communicate with as many people as I do and to say anything of substance without rubbing at least a few of them the wrong way now and then,” he said. .He said he is being investigated for retweeting a comment made by Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre about lockdowns, criticizing Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, criticizing former Prime Minister’s Office principal secretary Gerald Butts, criticizing an Ottawa city councillor, and joking about New Zealand Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern. He has been accused of being sexist, transphobic, fatphobic, and a climate change denier. .Gilmore said she wants to know what criticized means and what the joke was he references. She alleged this goes beyond political tweets and includes his comments about weight issues, climate change, women, and transgender people..In this case, she said Peterson’s ability to work as a clinical psychologist is at stake, which he stopped doing in 2017 because his rising notoriety and fame made continuing as one ethically impossible. .If people acknowledge themselves it is impossible for them to continue to practice, she asked if the association charged with monitoring practice standards and ethical behaviour should be concerned. .Gilmore concluded by saying the op-ed was questionable. .“He's basically being told to get social media training to be able to continue to work clinically in a professionally-regulated sector (which he has already stopped doing),” she said. .“A national newspaper published him calling this ‘a re-education camp’ without asking for more details?”.Peterson responded by saying she “hadn't been following the news well enough to understand the reference @atRachelGilmore, despite you being a journalist, and it being one of the month's biggest stories.”.“And why don't you just report your nasty little innuendo right to the @CPOntario commissars?” he said. .He said reporting him to the CPO seems to match her character. Additionally, he joked about Global News begging the Canadian government for media subsidies. .If Gilmore did a little background research, Peterson said she would know he would be releasing more information soon.
