"VANCOUVER — A group of professors and a graduate student are taking the University of British Columbia to court to stop the school from engaging in "political activity," which they claim limits academic freedom and violates legislation requiring it to be non-political.
The petition filed in B.C. Supreme Court Monday says the school is breaching the University Act through the use of Indigenous land acknowledgments, promotion of equity and inclusion initiatives and by taking positions on the Israel-Palestine conflict.
A section of the act requires universities to be both non-sectarian and non-political, but the group claims UBC is engaging in activities that violate the legislation.
"Academic freedom includes rights to pursue the evidence where it leads, to study, research, write, publish and teach without administrative interference and to engage in political discourse," the petition says.
The petitioners, which include philosophy professor Andrew Irvine, English professor Michael Treschow and others, claim the university should be prohibited from declaring it is on "unceded Indigenous" land.
"The use of the term 'unceded' is inherently political," the petition says. "The declaration that land is unceded is often considered synonymous or closely affiliated in meaning with the assertion that the territory of Canada is 'stolen land' and that the speaker, at least to some degree, and in this respect, does not recognize Canada as a lawful or legitimate state."
source:
UBC professors taking school to court over 'political' actions by administration
Long time well paid staffer Ron Kelly Spurles shown above in screen capture from Town Hall September 2024 meeting displays his "UNCEDED" sticker on his laptop during council meeting.
More here:
Petition-VLC-S-S-252602-filed-7Apr2025.pdf
UBC professors taking school to court over 'political' actions by administration
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