We’re taking UBC to court over DEI and other political activity: Andrew Irvine in the National Post – MLI
April 24, 2025
Universities need to be places where faculty can follow the evidence wherever it might lead, rather than being told what to believe by their employer.
The petition I and others filed earlier this month asking the Supreme Court of British Columbia to require administrators representing the University of British Columbia to stop engaging in political activity has begun to generate discussion.
According to a press release from the BC Civil Liberties Association, the lawsuit “is a perverse interpretation of the prohibition of political activity under the University Act.” The authors go on to assert wrongly that we are using our submission as part of a “hidden agenda” in an attempt to “override” rights of Indigenous self-governance.
According to a press release issued by the Union of British Columbia Indian Chiefs, our case in favour of academic freedom represents “outdated and regressive views” and that “There is no academic value in debating the validity of First Nations’ basic human rights.”
