Lethbridge college students protest speaker look

The College of Lethbridge says a controversial visitor speaker look will go forward, regardless of pushback from some college students.

The college says a school member on the college has scheduled Frances Widdowson to talk on Feb. 1.

The previous MRU professor made headlines in 2020 for criticizing Black Lives Matter and espousing the tutorial advantage of residential colleges.

Widdowson was fired from Mount Royal College in January 2022, after greater than 6,000 college students signed a petition calling for her to be fired.

Regardless of pushback from U of L college students, the college says its mandate affirms freedom of expression and the occasion will happen as scheduled.

In a press release, U of L president Mike Mahon stated, “The college doesn’t tolerate behaviour that undermines the security of our various group. And the college will prohibit expression that violates the regulation, defames a person or that constitutes a menace of harassment.”

The U of L stated an opposing place discuss has been organized to counter Widdowson’s speech however some college students stated that is not sufficient.

“The College of Lethbridge actually prides itself on its Indigenous title and land acknowledgments,” stated Jason Ranaghan, of the U of L Scholar Motion Meeting,

“And to see somebody who has not solely made one or two off-end feedback, however has made her complete tutorial profession off of defaming and denying the existence and painful historical past of residential colleges is extraordinarily disheartening to see.”

Jason Ranagaghan from College of Lethbridge Scholar Motion Meeting

“It looks like a slap within the face,” Ranaghan added, “to all of the work that they are doing.”

The Scholar Motion Meeting says it is planning a peaceable protest outdoors the classroom the place the speech will probably be held.

With information from Cynthia Roebuck