Social Worker Says She Was Fired Over Gender Views, Association With Jordan Peterson

Jordan Peterson gives a speech at Parliament House in Canberra, Australia, on Nov. 24, 2022. Andrew Hastie/Instagram

A Canadian social worker’s claim that she was fired by her government employer over private tweets about her gender views and her association with Jordan Peterson has been confirmed by the best-selling author and podcast host.

Peterson could not be reached for comment, but he tweeted on Feb. 10 that the social worker’s account is “true,” and that she is using an alias “because of nonstop harassment.” He posted the link to a GoFundMe crowdfunding campaign organized by the woman, who is going by the name of Reena Kaur.

Kaur says on the fundraiser page that she has been “out of work for months” and intends to use the funds to make up for lost wages and legal costs as she explores channels “to fight for my free speech and the Charter of Rights.”

She says she was terminated from her $77,000 a year non-union job, without a reference letter, because of private tweets and her association with Peterson.

“My termination letter stated I associate with a known ’transphobic, racist and misogynist person' referring to Dr. Peterson. Also, private tweets of mine were labelled transphobic, which if you read carefully my tweets are rooted in science, logic and biology,” she wrote.

“We live in a world now where we are asked to believe in the absurd when it comes to gender/biology. If we dare to speak up and challenge this narrative ( as I did) we are targeted, vilified, demoted, or in my case terminated from my job.”

She said that she tweeted various posts including one that stated, “Men cannot get pregnant. Men cannot menstruate. We need to stop saying people who get pregnant in documents/reports as I am noticing at work.”

Another tweet stated, “Children need to be a certain age to drive, vote, drink, and smoke - we must also exercise similar caution when allowing young kids to take potent hormone blockers/puberty blockers which have harmful effects on their physical and emotional well being.”

She also tweeted that “Biological men should not be placed in women’s prisons as it places women in harm’s way.”

Kaur said individuals are losing their “livelihoods for daring to speak the truth in a private platform. Not a hate filled truth, a simple truth like do not put children on puberty blockers, stop saying people who get pregnant, men cannot menstruate.”

The fundraiser had garnered $2,175 toward a $77,000 goal as of Feb. 12.

Kaur says on the fundraising page that she had devoted much of life to working as a social worker and front line counsellor. “I worked with oppressed and vulnerable populations for the last 25 years including rape survivors from the Congo/Rwanda, homeless communities, refugees, people dealing with mental health and addictions and abused women and children,” she wrote.

Peterson, meanwhile, has been involved in a dispute with the Ontario College of Psychologists over his own social media posts. The college ordered the clinical psychologist to submit to “social medial training” with one of two social media coaches selected by the regulatory body, or else face a disciplinary hearing. The coach would be at his own expense, and the requirement threatens loss of his license if he doesn’t comply.

However, if a new bill proposed by Conservative MP Garnet Genuis passes, “political belief or activity,” such as the social media posts for which Peterson and Kaur are under fire, could become a protected category under human rights laws.

Genuis cited the case of Peterson being disciplined by the college for social media posts. He said if the legislation passes, individuals could use free expression rights guaranteed by the charter or the Human Rights Act to defend themselves.

Tara MacIsaac contributed to this report.