Debate over academic freedom on Israel-Hamas war creates rift between UNB faculty, administration
Tensions rise after UNB professor gets trespass notice from campus security
Tensions are growing between faculty and administrators at the University of New Brunswick over language used by the president in response to student-led demonstrations in solidarity with civilians in Gaza.
Also causing concern among faculty is a trespass notice issued to a professor for setting up a tent on the Saint John campus.
Earlier this month, the union representing faculty and staff at UNB filed a grievance against the university, arguing it violated its commitment to academic freedom when it issued the trespass notice to a biology professor who set up a tent as part of demonstrations against the Israeli military's offensive in Gaza.
It came just a week after UNB president Paul Mazerolle issued a statement about protests that had been occurring on the Saint John and Fredericton campuses.
In it, he begins by saying members of the UNB and the greater Fredericton and Saint John communities have engaged in peaceful protests on each campus in relation to the war in Gaza.
Later in his statement, he says UNB values and upholds freedom of expression and free speech but adds there are limits.
"Expressing hate speech is not protected in Canada. Disrupting the safety and normal operations of the university, or the construction of unauthorized structures, do not fall under the purview of free expression."
Mazerolle later goes on to say that "violence will not be tolerated at our university."
University
of New Brunswick classics professor Matthew Sears says he and other
faculty are upset about comments made by UNB president Paul Mazerolle in
a statement about protesting. (Submitted by Matthew Sears)
UNB classics professor Matthew Sears says many faculty and staff at UNB are disappointed by what he calls a "heavy-handed" approach by UNB administrators toward the protests in Saint John, as well as Mazerolle's statement, which Sears says implies those who've been demonstrating are violent.
"We were quite upset that this language, coming out of nowhere, responding to no actual threats or incidents of violence or hate speech, was thrown in there to be inflammatory, to stack the rhetorical deck against those standing in solidarity with Palestinians," Sears said in an interview.
"It criminalizes Palestinian solidarity and it sets up those engaged in these activities as perhaps contemplating or threatening violence or hate speech or disrupting the university's operations, and so, yeah, we were very taken aback by that [statement]."
Student-led protests have been held at university campuses across North America since the Israeli government began a military offensive in Gaza in response to an attack by Hamas militants.
The Israeli government says Hamas militants killed about 1,200 people and kidnapped 250 during the attack from Gaza on southern Israel on Oct. 7, 2023.
In response, the Israeli government launched an aerial bombing and ground offensive campaign, which the Gaza health ministry says has killed more than 37,000 people.
On campuses in the United States and Canada, students have gathered to call on their universities to sell off investments they hold in Israeli companies, particularly those that develop or produce arms and technology used by the Israel Defense Forces, in response to the high death toll in Gaza.
Some protests on Canadian campuses have turned into round-the-clock encampments, prompting universities to seek legal action to forcibly remove them.
At UNB, protesters have gathered daily at the Saint John campus, and weekly at the Fredericton campus.
Professor issued trespass notice
Jeff Houlahan, chair of the department of biological sciences at UNB's Saint John campus, said he started demonstrating alongside students on May 6.
He said every day, from 7 a.m. to 4 p.m., he'd set up a sign saying "Free Gaza," and sit in the campus's quad, engaging in debates and discussions with other students and faculty about the conflict.
"It's been extremely peaceful," he said of the demonstrations.
Jeff Houlahan says he's been demonstrating every day at the University of New Brunswick's Saint John campus. (Submitted by Jeff Houlahan)
Houlahan said about two weeks into it, he decided to put up a camping tent to shield against the rain, prompting campus security to ask him to take it down, which he objected to.
He said he set the tent up at the beginning of each day and broke it down and took it home in the afternoon.
On May 28, campus security approached him and a student protest organizer and informed them they were being issued a seven-day no-trespass order, Houlahan said. They were told this could result in their arrests if they came back on campus, he said.
Houlahan said he still returned the following day, again with his tent, and this time was approached by security guards and officers with the Saint John Police Force.
He said officers initially told him he'd be escorted off campus but after discussions with campus security, they left without arresting or fining him.
Houlahan has been setting up a camping tent as part of his daily demonstrations. (Submitted by Jeff Houlahan)
Saint John police Sgt. Matthew Weir confirmed officers responded to a call by campus security about a protester refusing to remove a tent. He said that when they learned the protest was peaceful, they left the scene.
Houlahan said he's since returned to the campus most days, with his tent, to demonstrate but he's disappointed by UNB's threat to have him arrested and upset by Mazerolle's statement regarding the demonstrations.
"I was outraged by it because I felt like he knew that there had been no violence," Houlahan said. "He knew there had been no hate speech, but he could throw that out there as, you know, this complete distraction."
UNB supports peaceful protest, says president
CBC News asked UNB for an interview with Mazerolle but was told he was unavailable.
In an emailed statement, he said UNB supports peaceful protests on campus and also wants everyone in its community to feel safe and to respect its values, including academic freedom.
"Like many universities, we hear multiple perspectives from our community about this conflict," Mazerolle said.
"We remain firm in our commitment to be a place of reasoned debate where conflicting views can co-exist peacefully."
CBC News has seen the trespass notice issued against Houlahan, and it does not detail why it was issued.
When asked, UNB spokesperson Marcia Seitz-Ehler shared a copy of a May 13 letter by UNB security director Don Allen in anticipation of planned protests.
Seitz-Ehler said in an email that the letter was physically given to protesters on both campuses and included a list of 18 actions that are not allowed as part of protests, including the installation of "temporary or permanent structures of any kind, including tents or barricades."
Houlahan said his union, the Association of University of New Brunswick Teachers, has filed a grievance against UNB over issuing the trespass notice, arguing UNB violated his right to academic freedom.
Brenda Morais, an executive assistant with the association, confirmed in an email to CBC News that it has filed a grievance on behalf of a member who was issued a trespass notice but said the union would not comment publicly on it.
Calls for divestment at UNB
Sears and Houlahan aren't the only faculty taking issue with Mazerolle's comments.
An open letter to Mazerolle and UNB board chair Tom Gribbons states UNB employees are "dismayed" by the content and tone of Mazerolle's statement, and the suggestion that protesters have engaged in violence. The June 4 letter had been electronically signed by more than 120 faculty and staff as of Friday.
The letter also calls on the university to divest from Israeli companies, companies that do business with Israel, and any others that produce weapons used against Palestinian civilians.
UNB
president Paul Mazerolle issued a statement in May saying the
university will not be complying with demands by faculty to sell off
investments it holds in Israeli companies. (Ed Hunter/CBC)
Sears said at a university senate meeting in May, Mazerolle disclosed UNB's operating endowment had about $340,000 invested in Israeli companies, which accounted for 0.08 per cent of the total fund.
CBC News has not seen the minutes of the meeting, but Mazerolle's statement confirms less than 0.1 per cent of UNB's investment portfolio is in "Israeli companies."
While the amount is relatively miniscule, Sears said he believes selling the investments would serve to condemn the Israel Defense Forces' killing of civilians during the war in Gaza.
"I think the [New Brunswick] public has a very clear interest in its flagship university making a statement and taking a stand in what it is investing in," he said.
In his May 31 statement, Mazerolle said he's aware of calls for UNB to divest from Israeli companies and to publicly denounce Israel.
"UNB will not be complying with these demands," Mazerolle said.
"Two principles are being adhered to in relation to these matters — institutional autonomy and political neutrality."
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Paul Mazerolle
Dr. Paul Mazerolle is the 19th president and vice-chancellor of the University of New Brunswick.
Prior to his appointment in July 2019, Dr. Mazerolle was previously the pro vice chancellor (arts, education and law, 2009-2019), campus provost for Mount Gravatt campus (2009-2019), director of the Violence Research and Prevention program (2006-2019), and director of the Key Centre for Ethics, Law, Justice and Governance (2007-2009) at Griffith University in Queensland, Australia. He was also director of Research and Prevention at the Queensland Crime and Misconduct Commission (2002-2005) and head of the criminology program at the University of Queensland (2000-2006).
Dr. Mazerolle received his bachelor of arts degree in sociology from the University of New Brunswick (1989), his master of science in criminal justice from Northeastern University (1990), and his PhD in criminology from the University of Maryland at College Park (1995).
Dr. Mazerolle has led and participated in several major initiatives. While at Griffith, he chaired the university-wide Safe Campus Taskforce and chaired the sub-committee on Changing Attitudes and Behaviour regarding Sexual Harassment and Sexual Assault. Since 2014, Dr. Mazerolle led and chaired the Griffith Integrity 20 program.
Dr. Mazerolle was a member of the Premier’s Youth Violence Taskforce and the Seniors Taskforce in Queensland, Australia. He was also Board Chair and Director at Open Minds, a leading non-government organization addressing mental illness and disability.
Dr. Mazerolle is a past editor of the Australian and New Zealand Journal of Criminology and is the founding co-editor (with Tara McGee) of the Journal of Developmental and Life-Course Criminology.
An active scholar in criminology, Dr. Mazerolle has led several funded research projects. His research examines processes that shape offending behaviour across the life-course. His primary focus is in building knowledge on violence to inform theories, advance understanding, and improve policy and practices to reduce or prevent violence.
Paul is a proud native of New Brunswick, having grown up in Fredericton. He returns with his wife Amanda, and their two border collies, Maya and Gaby, to enjoy the four seasons.
Marcia Seitz-Ehler
Interim Director of Communications
Strategic Communications & Marketing
Annex A, 33
Saint John
Mark Leger
Managing Editor
Strategic Communications & Marketing
Annex A, 33
Saint John
Mike Brien
Director, Marketing
Strategic Communications & Marketing
Wu Centre, 3
Fredericton
Contact AUNBT via email at aunbt@aunbt.ca
POSTAL ADDRESS
AUNBT
University of New Brunswick
P.O. Box 4400
Fredericton, NB. E3B 5A3
FREDERICTON OFFICE
I.U.C. Science Library
4 Bailey Drive, Rm. 115
Fredericton, NB. E3B 5A3
Voice: 1-506-453-4661
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SAINT JOHN OFFICE
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100 Tucker Park Road
Saint John, NB. E3B 5A3
Voice: 1-506-453-4661
If you would like to arrange a meeting on the Saint John campus with a specific AUNBT representative, contact Brenda Morais by email or by phone at 1-506-453-4661.
Jeff Houlahan
Professor, Dept. Chair
Cdn Rivers Institute 226
Saint John
Matthew Sears
Professor and Undergraduate Advisor
Carleton Hall 241
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Contact us
Office of the Vice-President (Research)
Fredericton: Sir Howard Douglas Hall, Rm. 212, 3 Bailey Drive, P.O. Box 4400, Fredericton, NB E3B 5A3 | Tel: (506) 453-5189 | Email
Hours
Winter: Labour Day to Victoria Day; Monday to Friday, 8:15 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. AST
Summer: Victoria Day to Labour Day; Monday to Friday, 7:45 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. AST
- David MaGee, Vice-President (Research) - Helps shape UNB’s strategic research direction and agenda. About David MaGee.
- Amanda Manuel, Executive Assistant to the Vice-President (Research) - Scheduling, administrative support and assistant to the VPR Office.
- Renee Audet-Martel, Manager - Coordinator of Ethics, the Postdoctoral Fellowship program, VPR programs, sabbatical and non-leave research grants and reviewer of Internal VPR Grants
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Office of Research Services
Fredericton: Sir Howard Douglas Hall, room 215; 3 Bailey Drive, PO Box 4400, Fredericton, NB, Canada, E3B 5A3 | Tel: (506) 453-4674 | Email ORS | Email Research Financial (Post-Award) Services
Saint John: Hazen Hall, room 321A; 100 Tucker Park Road, PO Box 5050, Saint John, NB, Canada, E2L 4L5; Tel: (506) 453-4674 | Email | Email Research Financial (Post-Award) Services
Hours
Winter: Labour Day to Victoria Day; Monday to Friday, 8:15 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. AST
Summer: Victoria Day to Labour Day; Monday to Friday, 7:45 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. AST
Administration
- Kelly Ashfield, Executive Director - Responsible for the operation of the Office of Research Services.
- Gale Austin, Administrative Assistant - Administrative support for Research and Innovation Partnerships and Research Financial (Post-Award) Services, IRAP Program and special projects.
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Jeremy Elder-Jubelin
Marketing and Communications Officer
Fredericton
Renee Audet-Martel
Manager
Office of the Vice-President (Research)
Sir Howard Douglas Hall 212
Fredericton
About David MaGee
Vice-President, Research
Dr. David MaGee is the vice-president research at UNB. In his role, he provides leadership and vision in shaping UNB's strategic research direction and agenda, overseeing research-related policies and programs, and developing a higher profile for the full spectrum of research and scholarly activities in all UNB's academic units.
Currently in his second term, Dr. MaGee was first appointed vice-president research in 2017. Prior to his appointment, Dr. MaGee served as dean of science (2008-2017) and as chair of the department of chemistry (1999-2007). In his capacity as vice-president (research), Dr. MaGee serves on the boards of several regional and national organizations, including the new Digital Research Alliance of Canada, Springboard Atlantic, the New Brunswick Innovation Foundation, Research New Brunswick (as well as both of its pre-merger organizations, the New Brunswick Health Research Foundation and BioNB), the Canadian Consortium of Ocean Research Universities, Huntsman Marine Centre and AceNet.
A proud New Brunswicker, Dr. MaGee completed his PhD in synthetic organic chemistry at UNB in 1987. Following a postdoctoral fellowship at the University of Rochester, he returned to UNB as a faculty member in chemistry. His primary area of research inquiry has focused on new and/or simpler ways to make biologically-interesting and structurally-challenging natural products. He has published 49 peer-reviewed articles on his research, presented at more than 80 conferences and holds five patents for significant discoveries made in the course of his research.
Contact David
506-453-5189 | vpr@unb.ca
From: David Amos<david.raymond.amos333@gmail.com>
Date: Fri, May 5, 2023 at 8:52 AM
Subject: Re: UNB Mastriano Thanks for getting back to me Trust that there is a lot to discuss with history students
To: Gregory, James P. <jgregory9@ou.edu>
Cc: motomaniac333 <motomaniac333@gmail.com>, <jsbrown@unb.ca>, <dmagee@unb.ca>, <president@unb.ca>, <history@unb.ca>, <richard.yeomans@unb.ca>
This is just a portion of my blog
https://davidraymondamos3.blog
Thursday, 4 May 2023
UNB to investigate fraud allegations against former PhD student with
ties to Trump
---------- Original message ----------
From: "Higgs, Premier Blaine (PO/CPM)"<Blaine.Higgs@gnb.ca>
Date: Mon, 11 Jan 2021 21:23:11 +0000
Subject: Automatic reply: Sen. Doug Mastriano or a clever jounalist
such as his pal Wendy Bell should have got back to me before the shit
hit the fan in DC EH Jerome Corsi???
To: David Amos <david.raymond.amos333@gmail.c
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Merci.
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---------- Original message ----------
From: Premier of Ontario | Premier ministre de l’Ontario <Premier@ontario.ca>
Date: Mon, 11 Jan 2021 21:15:58 +0000
Subject: Automatic reply: Sen. Doug Mastriano or a clever jounalist
such as his pal Wendy Bell should have got back to me before the shit
hit the fan in DC EH Jerome Corsi???
To: David Amos <david.raymond.amos333@gmail.c
Thank you for your email. Your thoughts, comments and input are greatly valued.
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Thanks again for your email.
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Merci pour votre courriel. Nous vous sommes très reconnaissants de
nous avoir fait part de vos idées, commentaires et observations.
Nous tenons à vous assurer que nous lisons attentivement et prenons en
considération tous les courriels et lettres que nous recevons.
Dans certains cas, nous transmettrons votre message au ministère
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Merci encore pour votre courriel.
---------- Original message ----------
From: David Amos <david.raymond.amos333@gmail.c
Date: Mon, 11 Jan 2021 17:15:49 -0400
Subject: Fwd: Sen. Doug Mastriano or a clever jounalist such as his
pal Wendy Bell should have got back to me before the shit hit the fan
in DC EH Jerome Corsi???
To: info@coreprojects.com, assistant@esmithmccrossinmla.c
<premier@ontario.ca>, premier <premier@gnb.ca>, pm <pm@pm.gc.ca>,
"Katie.Telford"<Katie.Telford@pmo-cpm.gc.ca>, "steve.murphy"
<steve.murphy@ctv.ca>, news-tips <news-tips@nytimes.com>, news
<news@kingscorecord.com>
Cc: motomaniac333 <motomaniac333@gmail.com>
https://www.activistfacts.com/
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---------- Forwarded message ----------
From: David Amos <david.raymond.amos333@gmail.c
Date: Mon, 11 Jan 2021 17:02:57 -0400
Subject: Sen. Doug Mastriano or a clever jounalist such as his pal
Wendy Bell should have got back to me before the shit hit the fan in
DC EH Jerome Corsi???
To: WendyBellRadio@gmail.com, dmastriano@pasen.gov,
matthew@depernolaw.com, miag@michigan.gov, Newsroom
<Newsroom@globeandmail.com>, washington field
<washington.field@ic.fbi.gov>, info@lionelmedia.com,
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susan@susanbradford.org
Cc: motomaniac333 <motomaniac333@gmail.com>, lauralynnlive
<lauralynnlive@gmail.com>, tracy <tracy@uncoverdc.com>,
action@mediamatters.org, press@mediamatters.org
https://www.mediamatters.org/j
PA state Sen. Doug Mastriano called effort to overturn election a
“death match with the Democrat Party” shortly before heading to
insurrection attempt
Mastriano made his remarks to radio host Eric Metaxas, who previously
said: “We need to fight to the death, to the last drop of blood
because it's worth it.”
Written by Eric Hananoki
Published 01/11/21 2:17 PM EST
For press inquiries please contact press@mediamatters.org or 202.772.8195.
TSend news tips about misinformation to Media Matters at
action@mediamatters.org.
https://senatormastriano.com/
Harrisburg Office
170 Main Capitol
Harrisburg, PA 17120
dmastriano@pasen.gov
Phone: 717-787-4651
Fax: 717-772-2753
TTY: 800-364-1581
Chambersburg Office
37 South Main Street
Suite 200
Chambersburg, PA 17201
Phone: 717-264-6100
Fax: 717-264-3652
Gettysburg Office
33 York Street
Gettysburg, PA 17325
Phone: 717-334-4169
Fax: 717-334-5911
Toll Free: 866-334-1863
https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada
UNB to investigate fraud allegations against former PhD student with
ties to Trump
The academic credentials of Republican politician Doug Mastriano were
called into question last fall
The Canadian Press · Posted: May 04, 2023 1:03 PM ADT
Two men stand at a rally holding microphones. Doug Mastriano, seen
with Trump at a rally, was at the Capitol on Jan. 6, 2021, and has
questioned the 2020 election results. Mastriano cited the UNB
doctorate in his campaign materials when he ran for governor of
Pennsylvania. (Andrew Kelly/Reuters)
The University of New Brunswick has appointed three professors to
investigate allegations of academic fraud against a former PhD student
who is a high-profile ally of former U.S. president Donald Trump.
The academic credentials of Republican politician Doug Mastriano were
called into question last fall when several scholars came forward to
allege his 2013 doctoral dissertation was plagued by errors,
fabrications and omissions.
At the time, the state senator in Pennsylvania was known for his role
in the movement to overturn Trump's 2020 election defeat, and he later
launched a failed bid to become the state's governor.
Mastriano dismissed the allegations last fall, saying "left-leaning
professors" at UNB were unable to deal with his political views.
UNB releases controversial U.S. politician's PhD dissertation
after months of refusals
UNB kept quiet about Mastriano controversy because of U.S.
elections, president says
James Gregory, an American scholar who complained about Mastriano's
thesis, confirmed this week that he has received word from UNB that
his allegations warrant a formal investigation.
The investigation committee must submit its recommendations to the
university within 60 days of its formation, but the
institution's policy says the report will not be released to the public.
University officials declined requests for interviews.
CBC's Journalistic Standards and Practices
11 Comments
David Amos
The obvious question is who are the three professors UNB appointed to
investigate allegations of academic fraud?
Ben Haroldson
And the one who appointed them.
David Amos
Content Deactivated
Reply to Ben Haroldson
Good point
David Amos
Oh my my
David Amos
Content Deactivated
Reply to David Amos
"Mastriano dismissed the allegations last fall, saying "left-leaning
professors" at UNB were unable to deal with his political views."
Too Too Funny Indeed
David Amos
Content Deactivated
Now this is interesting Perhaps Mastriano will get back to me now
Karen Stellmaker
It took these "scholars" ten years to come to this conclusion? Why
now? More Trump news I do not want to hear.
David Amos
Reply to Karen Stellmaker
Bingo
G. Timothy Walton
Mastriano can blame politics all he wants. The fact remains that his
main accuser is a Republican from a Red State.
David Amos
Reply to G. Timothy Walton
So?
G. Timothy Walton
Reply to David Amos
So it seems an important datum when the accused is trying to claim
politics as the motivation for an investigation.
David Amos
Reply to G. Timothy Walton
Everything is political and its always about the money
David Amos
Reply to G. Timothy Walton
BTW I am a fan of Sgt York was the first to address this issue with
the Yankee Senator and proved it to Higgy out of the gate
David Amos
Reply to G. Timothy Walton
Trust that as soon as I read this long delayed nonsense about a vanity
PhD I picked up the phone and began calling the players mentioned in
these articles before I send another email
https://twitter.com/richrray
Richard Yeomans
@richrray
PhD Candidate • History of science and settler colonialism • New
Brunswicker • Future Bond Villain • Sometimes people call me Murray •
He/Him
New Brunswick, Canadaatlanticdigitalscholarsh
https://twitter.com/richrray/s
Richard Yeomans
@richrray
Doing my PhD in history at UNB, the last thing I expected was for my
department to become embroiled in US politics. But the last month has
been a rollercoaster of emotion because the department, and by
extension the university, is more concerned with saving face (1
11:14 AM · Oct 5, 2022
In 2013, a committee assembled by the former director of the Gregg
Centre for the study of war and society organized a defence for a PhD
candidate that had, at that point, only been in the programme for 3
years. (2
That committee only had one person who could be called an ‘expert’ on
the subject of the dissertation and was the external reader. That
external was, according to the Candidate, a long-time friend and
mentor of the project. He was not an impartial or “arms length” reader
(3
Nine years later, a PhD candidate from the US got a copy of the
dissertation and has, thus far, found over 150 instances of what he
labels ‘academic fraud,’ and since March 2021 has been trying to get a
response from UNB History or the Gregg Centre (4
He has been ignored for well over a year. Now that this issue has
become a major media story, the Department and Gregg Centre continue
to say nothing, and have not even acknowledged why current grad
students might be upset (5
Because we are upset. Imagine committing 5+ years of your life and
thousands of dollars so you can produce good research, and then come
to find someone else was granted the same degree after 3 years, (6
And defended what was essentially a flawed biography to a committee
that was not in the least bit critical. Now that person’s PhD has been
used to absolve them of being blatantly racist. He openly romanticizes
antebellum America, the confederacy, and what it stood for (7
There are a lot of faculty in my department that will call themselves
allies, including those in the Gregg Centre. But from this, and other
examples because I do not think 2013 was not an isolated incident, it
is clear that they will not treat students equitably (8
Instead, the department of history at UNB will grant vanity PhDs to
some students; but demand labour-intensive research from others. It’s
not fair to any of us, and it’s especially unfair to students working
with the Gregg Centre who are actually putting in the work. (9
I know that there are many PhDs out there that were less than
deserved. But that fact does not make this situation better for us. It
does not excuse the way that committee was formed, who was on it, and
the continued lack of communication from the department to its
students. (10
The department is a mess. The academy is a mess. I shouldn’t have to
be the one to speak up in defence of my education at UNB, no student
should have to do this. But they made us do this because they’ve known
since March 2021 about this. (11
As I see it, it was easier to just ignore the student this hurt in
2021, and those who have been hurt in 2022, than to acknowledge a
gross example of academic negligence. And for what? To preserve the
relationship between UNB history and the military? No thank you.
David Raymond Amos
@DavidRaymondAm1
"Richard Yeomans, a PhD candidate in UNB's history department, said it
was a stretch to suggest that public debate at the university could
influence a U.S. vote."
https://davidraymondamos3.blog
6:30 PM · May 4, 2023
On 5/4/23, Gregory, James P. <jgregory9@ou.edu> wrote:
> Hi David,
>
> The secretary in our department said you were trying to reach me. If you'd
> like to call my number is xxx xxx xxxx
>
> Get Outlook for iOS<https://aka.ms/o0ukef>
>