Lawyers representing Professor Frances Widdowson have issued a demand to Mount Royal University (MRU) for clarification regarding alleged restraining orders against her and details of the university's solicitation policy, following a disputed campus debate earlier this month.The Justice Centre for Constitutional Freedoms sent the demand letter on Monday, seeking copies of the supposed restraining orders and an explanation of MRU's solicitation rules.The dispute stems from a November 16 informal debate conducted by Widdowson, an MRU student, and another participant on campus. Using a conversational approach known as Spectrum Street Epistemology (SSE), they engaged in discussions about beliefs, including the university’s Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) policies.During the session, an MRU professor reportedly complained to campus security, prompting two officers to intervene. Widdowson was told her conversation violated solicitation rules by occurring near a doorway and was moved elsewhere. She was also informed that several MRU professors had restraining orders against her — claims she denies having prior knowledge of.Widdowson criticized MRU’s actions, calling them an attack on free expression. “Spectrum Street Epistemology is an incredibly important method to bring to universities that are threatening academic freedom by imposing prescribed doctrines that result in institutional censorship,” she said. “Mount Royal University's apparent attempt to intimidate and interfere with the session...is again an indication of how it is failing to uphold its mission to foster critical thinking and open inquiry.”Widdowson, who joined MRU in 2008 and was granted tenure in 2011, was dismissed in 2021 after several harassment complaints linked to her social media activity. Earlier this year, an arbitrator ruled that her termination was disproportionate and violated her academic freedom. “She has controversial views on a number of topics. However, there has never been a complaint about the quality or ethics of her scholarship," said Arbitrator David Phillip Jones.Her lawyer, Glenn Blackett, criticized MRU’s handling of the latest incident, stating, “We all know there is a problem with free speech on campus — but to claim that people aren’t even allowed to approach one another to speak is just parody.”The university has not yet responded publicly to the demand letter.
Lawyers representing Professor Frances Widdowson have issued a demand to Mount Royal University (MRU) for clarification regarding alleged restraining orders against her and details of the university's solicitation policy, following a disputed campus debate earlier this month.The Justice Centre for Constitutional Freedoms sent the demand letter on Monday, seeking copies of the supposed restraining orders and an explanation of MRU's solicitation rules.The dispute stems from a November 16 informal debate conducted by Widdowson, an MRU student, and another participant on campus. Using a conversational approach known as Spectrum Street Epistemology (SSE), they engaged in discussions about beliefs, including the university’s Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) policies.During the session, an MRU professor reportedly complained to campus security, prompting two officers to intervene. Widdowson was told her conversation violated solicitation rules by occurring near a doorway and was moved elsewhere. She was also informed that several MRU professors had restraining orders against her — claims she denies having prior knowledge of.Widdowson criticized MRU’s actions, calling them an attack on free expression. “Spectrum Street Epistemology is an incredibly important method to bring to universities that are threatening academic freedom by imposing prescribed doctrines that result in institutional censorship,” she said. “Mount Royal University's apparent attempt to intimidate and interfere with the session...is again an indication of how it is failing to uphold its mission to foster critical thinking and open inquiry.”Widdowson, who joined MRU in 2008 and was granted tenure in 2011, was dismissed in 2021 after several harassment complaints linked to her social media activity. Earlier this year, an arbitrator ruled that her termination was disproportionate and violated her academic freedom. “She has controversial views on a number of topics. However, there has never been a complaint about the quality or ethics of her scholarship," said Arbitrator David Phillip Jones.Her lawyer, Glenn Blackett, criticized MRU’s handling of the latest incident, stating, “We all know there is a problem with free speech on campus — but to claim that people aren’t even allowed to approach one another to speak is just parody.”The university has not yet responded publicly to the demand letter.
