Jordan Peterson Could Face College Tribunal Over Social Media Posts

Jordan Peterson, Canadian clinical psychologist and professor of psychology at the University of Toronto, explains the communist roots of postmodernism during an interview with The Epoch Times on June 15, 2018. The Epoch Times

The Ontario College of Psychologists is requiring Jordan Peterson to complete training “regarding professionalism in public statements,” according to a disciplinary action listed on his college member profile.

Peterson tweeted on Jan. 3, “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 [Conservative Party leader Pierre Poilievre] and criticizing [Prime Minister Justin Trudeau] and his political allies.”

He said if he doesn’t cooperate with the trainings, he could face a college disciplinary tribunal and lose his licence. The Epoch Times did not receive a reply from Peterson as of publication as to whether he would go ahead with the training.

He said on Twitter that he could not post the letter he received from the college online due to “confidentiality,” but he would “provide all the details legally allowed.” He said he would like to publish all communications with the college if it would agree, though he doubted it would.

The college replied to The Epoch Times inquiry on this matter by saying, “The College is not authorized to provide this information as per the confidentiality provisions of section 36 of the Regulated Health Professions Act, 1991.”

Peterson listed off the kinds of comments he has made that the college took issue with: “Criticizing climate change models. Objecting to surgery on gender dysphoric minors. Warning Canadians it was wrong for social service workers and police to threaten to apprehend the children of the Trucker Convoy protestors.”

‘Weaponized’ Professional Misconduct Complaints

Peterson said the “SJW [social justice warrior] types have weaponized the domain of professional misconduct complaints.”

Bruce Pardy, executive director of the group Rights Probe agreed, tweeting in response: “Professional regulators have become ideological. They increasingly seek to supervise political views and expression. In effect, to be progressive is to be neutral and reasonable, while to not be progressive will amount to professional misconduct.” Rights Probe describes itself as promoting the classical liberal conception of individual rights and the rule of law.

Pardy gave the example of the Law Society of Ontario, which sought to require “lawyers and paralegals to state their embrace of DIE (diversity, inclusivity and equity) politics.” He said, “We narrowly managed to repeal it.”

He also gave the example of the College of Physicians and Surgeons Ontario forbidding their licensees from expressing medical opinions contrary to COVID-related public health orders. A college tribunal hearing for three Ontario doctors that took place in November tested the limits of the college’s power in this regard. The results of that hearing have not yet been announced.

Peterson said the college told him that a dozen or so people had complained “about my public statements on Twitter and [on a podcast hosted by Joe] Rogan over a four year period (out of the 15 million who follow me on social media) claiming that I had ‘harmed’ people (not them) with my views.” None of those complainants were his clients, he said.

The college’s website states under “discipline and other proceedings” for Peterson: “In a decision released on November 22, 2022, the Inquiries, Complaints and Reports Committee decided to require Dr. Jordan Peterson to successfully complete a prescribed Specified Continuing Education or Remedial Program (SCERP). The substance of the SCERP is a Coaching Program to address issues regarding professionalism in public statements.”

Peterson said, “To reiterate: I face public disgrace, mandatory political re-education, disciplinary hearing and potential loss of my clinical licensing for agreeing with @PierrePoilievre and criticizing our standing PM @JustinTrudeau.”