A U of T union’s allegation that the department of religion discriminated against an Aboriginal instructor is proceeding to mediation this fall.

“The allegation is one of discrimination on grounds of race, ancestry, and union activity,” said CUPE 3902 staff representative Mikael Swayze. CUPE 3902 is the union that represents sessional lecturers and teaching assistants at U of T.

According to the union’s allegations, the university’s department for the study of religion has repeatedly failed to hire Dr. Donald Blais, an Orthodox Christian and Penobscot-Metis who received a doctorate in theology from Regis College, and has been teaching at U of T since 1998. In the process, he has attained the rank of “sessional lecturer II,” meaning he has been recognized as a capable instructor. Blais has also been twice nominated as instructor of the year by his students, according to a union statement.

The same statement said that Blais has only ever been offered teaching work in the field of aboriginal religion, despite the fact that his dissertation focused on a key figure in the Catholic Reformation.

“The people who have been hired have less experience,” said Swayze. And according to the union’s collective agreement with the university, “there should be a preference for a sessional lecturer II.”

“I’m not prepared to comment,” said department of religion chair John Kloppenborg. Other U of T administrators familiar with the case could not be reached for comment by deadline.

Dennis Stark, an activist and publisher of Tamsi, an aboriginal community newspaper, said he has known Blais for nearly ten years. He compared his case to that of controversial University of Colorado professor Ward Churchill, a Native American academic who drew criticism last year for controversial statements he made about the attacks on the World Trade Centre.

“Dr. Blais is not the kind of person that would rant on a podium, but he does encourage freedom of thought and expression,” said Stark. “That doesn’t sit well with his colleagues.”

Stark said that if successful, Blais’s case “will point out to the university that it has a long way to go to meet its targets on equity hiring.”

“I think it’s a huge equity issue,” said Swayze. “I am hopeful that mediation will work,” he added. “We’re hoping for dates in October.”