Former Mount Royal University (MRU) economics, justice, and policy studies professor Frances Widdowson said she will give her lecture at the University of Lethbridge on Wednesday despite the school cancelling it. ."The title of my talk is 'How Wokeism Threatens Academic Freedom,'" said Widdowson in a Monday Facebook post.."You will have to haul me away by security to stop me." .The University of Lethbridge said it would be stopping Widdowson from giving a lecture. .“To ensure our community is safe, in the context of this planned lecture, the University will not provide space for this public lecture to occur on campus,” said U of L President Mike Mahon. .A group of U of L students asked the school on Thursday to intervene and cancel the lecture Widdowson would give. .READ MORE: Lethbridge university students call for school to cancel fired MRU professor’s talk.“Her presence on campus not only denigrates the status of the University by giving space to a speaker who promotes historical falsities and racial bigotry, but endangers students' well-being and safety,” said Concerned Students. .Mahon acknowledged there were some community members who have asked the university to intervene and cancel the lecture. He declined to cancel the talk at the time, citing its statement on freedom of expression. .Widdowson — who was terminated by MRU for questioning woke ideas — said in April she was taking legal action to defend academic freedom and free speech in universities..READ MORE: MRU professor fights back after being fired for questioning ‘woke’ ideas.Widdowson was fired in 2021 for criticizing subjects such as truth and reconciliation with indigenous people, Black Lives Matter, and trans rights. ."The university unequivocally supports academic debate and will always defend the rights of faculty related to academic freedom," said MRU.."However, academic freedom does not justify harassment or discrimination." .It said the collective agreement and school policies "outline a process for resolving issues of workplace conduct, and decisions are always made following rigorous due process.”.But Widdowson fired back..“Wokeism is the colloquial term used for the postmodern tactic of reducing scientific objectivity to subjective authoritarianism, imposing its arbitrary interpretation of what is acceptable,” she said. .The U of L statement said there are limits to freedom of expression. It said U of L has to be attentive to community safety..Mahon said it has received considerable input from the communities it serves. He added this input confirmed “assertions that seek to minimize the significant and detrimental impact of Canada’s residential school system are harmful.”.U of L developed a statement on freedom of expression in 2019. The statement acknowledges the university must be able to regulate facilities, times, places, and manners of expression. .Mahon went on to say it is committed to the calls to action of the Truth and Reconciliation Commission. He said it is “clear that the harm associated with this talk is an impediment to meaningful reconciliation.”.“Indigenous peoples have and continue to play an undeniably impactful role in shaping the University of Lethbridge that we know today,” he said. .“A continued commitment to providing a safe place for our diverse community, including our faculty, our staff, and especially our students, is critical in allowing us all to contribute to the evolution and growth of the University of Lethbridge.”
