Calgary University’s Firing of Tenured Professor Over Twitter Posts Found ‘Disproportionate’

Calgary University’s Firing of Tenured Professor Over Twitter Posts Found ‘Disproportionate’
Frances Widdowson, a former associate professor in the department of economics, justice, and policy studies at Mount Royal University in Calgary, Alberta, in an undated photo. Courtesy of Frances Widdowson
Chandra Philip
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The decision by Calgary’s Mount Royal University (MRU) to fire a tenured professor in 2021 was disproportionate to her conduct, an arbitrator has ruled.

Frances Widdowson, who often spoke out against “wokeism” and identity politics on her Woke Academy website and social media, was fired just before Christmas amid a “Twitter War”—as described by the arbitrator—between her and colleagues. She filed a grievance over her dismissal.

The July 2 decision is nearly 300 pages long and details 10 grievances. Arbitrator D.P. Jones dismisses most of the grievances, which involve the process through which the university dealt with Widdowson.

On the matter of discipline, Jones concluded that although Widdowson’s actions were “just cause” for discipline, her termination was “disproportionate.”

“A number of the 12 factors enumerated in the December 20, 2021 dismissal letter are inaccurate, or have not been proved in the arbitration hearing, or are not worthy to be considered in a university that values academic freedom,” Jones wrote.

Despite finding Widdowson’s termination was disproportionate, Jones said it would not be appropriate to reinstate her to her job at the university given the level of conflict between her and others at the school.

“In my judgment, this is an appropriate case in which to substitute a monetary payment rather than reinstatement with lesser penalties.”

Widdowson said she was happy with the finding in her favour, but was disappointed she was not reinstated.

“There’s no reason why I shouldn’t be reinstated,” she said during a phone interview.

“The people who don’t want me to return to MRU, I don’t work with those people.”

Widdowson said the decision is being appealed with the goal of reinstatement.

MRU told The Epoch Times in an email that the ongoing arbitration has had a wide-reaching impact on the school community.

“We understand the ongoing impact this process has had on our faculty, students, and staff,” the university said.

Complaints

In September 2020, after Widdowson said in a media publication that the Black Lives Matter movement had “destroyed” the culture at MRU, a petition was started to have her fired, which garnered over 6,000 signatures.

She attracted further criticism from students and university colleagues for her comments on the residential school system, including saying it doesn’t constitute genocide.

The arbitration report notes that the conflicts on Twitter, now called X, occurred in the span of a few years.

“In a series of events from 2016 through 2019, Dr Widdowson alerted officials at the University that she was being mocked on Twitter,“ with the conflict between Widdowson and other faculty increasing into a ”Twitter War” in summer 2020.

In his arbitration ruling, Jones said that Widdowson has “controversial views on a number of topics.” However, he added, “there has never been a complaint about the quality or ethics of her scholarship; she has never received performance management counselling for either her teaching or scholarship; and the University has supported and recognized her scholarly activities.”

For her part, Widdowson says the process she has been through has helped her learn the importance of remaining principled.

“If you want the process to be over, you might as well quit now, because it’s never going to be over,” she said. “I see that now with all the battles that I’ve been involved in for the last numerous years.”

She added that she is going to focus on showing people “the terrible problems that exist within our institutions.”

The MRU said it can’t comment further on the case.

“While the formal process continues, we will have no further comment,” the university said.

Widdowson had worked at MRU since 2008.

Isaac Teo and Lee Harding contributed to this report.