Newsletter

January 2001

Letter from SAFS to Dr. Patrick Woodsworth, Director-General, Dawson College

August 22, 2000

Dear Director-General Woodsworth:

Thank you for your August 9, 2000 reply to my June 26, 2000 letter regarding
our Society’s concerns about Dawson College’s treatment of Professor Jeffrey
Asher. I am well aware that negotiations between the College and
Professor Asher have led to an employment-termination settlement since
I last wrote to you. However, I must point out that you did not respond
to any of the serious concerns I raised about possible violations of Professor
Asher’s academic freedom and right to due process. As I informed
you in my previous letter, it our policy to consult all parties before
commenting publicly on the academic freedom aspects of a dispute.
I therefore ask once again that you respond to these concerns without unnecessary
delay.

According to an article by Neil Seeman in the National Post on August
16, 2000, Professor Asher believes he was forced out of his job because
of pressure from feminists, and not because of any academic misbehavior.

Professor Asher’s statements are at odds with your assurance to me that
the matter was resolved “to the satisfaction of both parties”.
Clearly, it is not in the interests of Dawson College for the public
to have the impression that professors can lose their jobs at the College
if their beliefs do not conform to feminist (or any other) dogma.
And, indeed, if Asher’s statements have any basis in fact, the College’s
actions are violations of his academic freedom. Do you deny Professor
Asher’s claim?

In my previous letter to you, I pointed out a number of procedural problems
with the process used to decide Professor Asher’s courses. First,
Professor Asher was not invited to defend himself or to respond in any
way. Second, apparent complaints against him were accepted at face
value. Third, at least two members of the four person committee that
ruled on Professor Asher’s case, Professors Nemiroff and Powers, appear
to have been biased or unsympathetic to Professor Asher, even before hearing
evidence on the current matter.

These problematic procedures are troubling and constitute a prima facie
violation of Professor Asher’s right to due process. Do you
deny that these procedural flaws existed?

Accordingly, I would like to ask you to respond specifically to the
following questions:

1. Were the decisions affecting Professor Asher made in the context of his academic freedom and with regard to due process?
2. What are your institution’s policies to safeguard academic freedom of faculty and students and guarantee due process in academic decision-making?

To save time I am faxing this letter to you, with a hard copy to follow
in the regular mail. I look forward to your prompt reply.

Sincerely,

Clive Seligman, President

Note: To date Dr. Patrick
Woodsworth, Director-General of Dawson College, has not answered any of
the questions posed to him in the above letter. See SAFS website for additional
information.