Judge reverses University of Lethbridge cancellation of 2023 Widdowson lecture

The University of Lethbridge’s cancellation of a 2023 guest lecture by Frances Widdowson in response to widespread objections was “fundamentally and fatally flawed” by failing to consider the speaker’s Charter rights, says a Court of King’s Bench judge.

Widdowson, whose views on residential schools have sparked controversy, had been invited by Paul Viminitz, a U of L philosophy professor, to present a free Feb. 1 speech on campus titled How ‘Woke-ism’ Threatens Academic Freedom.

School executives, in response to mounting criticism, cancelled the presentation two days before she was to speak.

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Widdowson and Jonah Pickle, a U of L student, applied for a judicial review of the decision they said breached their freedoms of expression and peaceful assembly under the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms.

Their application sought to allow Widdowson’s lecture to proceed at a future date and a public admission from the university that it breached their Charter freedoms.

Justice Chris Simard, in a written decision posted Thursday, found school officials reacted unreasonably to the “large volume” of emails from faculty, students and others opposed to the event.

“Some commentators characterized Dr. Widdowson as a racist, and/or a residential school denier. Many stated their opinions that the event would cause harm to members of the university community, particularly Indigenous individuals,” Simard wrote.

At least one petition opposing the event was organized and the university’s student union planned a demonstration for the same time and location as the lecture.

Simard’s decision outlined the chain of events in the day’s prior to the cancellation, including statements made by the university’s then president, Mike Mahon.

On Jan. 26, Mahon, in response to growing backlash, issued a statement citing a 2019 school policy advocating free expression while acknowledging the university did not agree with Widdowson’s views.

The next day, an internal email sent by Mahon advised the school’s executive had decided to cancel the lecture, with that decision outlined in a second statement.

“The president explained that the decision had been made to prevent the potential harm the event would bring to students, faculty and staff,” Simard wrote. “He also referenced the 2019 policy and that it allowed limits to be placed on free expression on campus.”