David Naylor, look out
University presidents may now be fair game for lawsuits after a ruling last week by the Supreme Court of Canada.
Daniel Freeman-Maloy is seeking damages, reports the National Post, after the president of York suspended him for three years and did not provide him with a venue to appeal the decision after the former took part in a couple of protests.
Freeman-Maloy alleges that Yorkpresident Lorna Marsden committed a breach of duty as an official in a public office, libel, and a breach of academic freedom.
York lawyers had argued that university presidents are independent and cannot be sued as public officials. Though, now that the SCC has denied this appeal, the lawyers plan to continue this line of argument, as well as arguing that Marsden did nothing wrong in the first place.
-Kevin Wong
Taskforce on Islamophophia kicks off
The Canadian Federation of Students’ (CFS) task force on Islamophobia kicked off at U of T on Wednesday, with a Hart House hearing September aimed at garnering the needs of U of T’s Muslim population.
The members of the taskforce are encouraging students to step forward and make public statements on the matter in a series of events at Ontario university campuses.
“When Muslim students at Ryerson were targeted, students across the province realised that we needed to come together to promote inclusive campus communities, so we launched a campaign against Islamophobia, Anti-Semitism and racism,” said Jesse Greener, CFS Ontario chairperson.
The CFS will compile its findings into a report that it plans to release on the international Day to End Racism, in March 2007.
-Sana Ahmed
