Canada Supreme Court ruling could help pro life club at U of Calgary

I look to one of my favorite blogs for what is happening with my neighbors to the north...remember the case of the pro life students on the campus of the U of Calgary who were arrested for attempting to set up a pro life display? The University argued that they have the right to censor what they considered graphic pix....well as BBW points out this recent ruling re: two college students bashing their teacher via Facebook were  exonerated when the ruling from Canada's Supreme Court came down that the Charter of Freedom and Rights does indeed apply to the U of C.
From the article

Court of Queen's Bench Justice Jo'Anne Strekaf said in her precedent-setting ruling released Wednesday that, contrary to the U of C's position, the Charter of Rights and Freedoms applies to universities in such situations.

Boyle said the ruling could also have implications on the spat between the U of C and pro-life students over rallies on university property, because it is now known that the Charter applies to the university in certain situations.

Students at U of Calgary denied appeal for punishment for pro life display

We have been following the dilemma of the 8 students at the University of Calgary who are standing strong for their pro life convictions and their freedom of speech. I have written about it here   and here  and here. Now the latest is that the students were denied an appeal hearing and sent the students a letter affirming the decision to find the students guilty of non academic misconduct. This was for having a pro life display on campus. This display had been shown on campus no less than 8 times since 2006.

Wow! Free speech appears to be figure of speech only. I admire these students. Earlier, the principled students said " There's nothing they can do to us individually that compares to what hundreds of unborn children encounter each day in our country."

I don't think we have heard the end of  this one. We await their next announcement.

So get used to it: there is no debate. U OF C FINDS PRO-LIFE STUDENTS GUILTY AFTER CLOSED-DOOR HEARINGS

Big Blue Wave posts this update on the U of Calgary. It  appears that free speech is just a figure of speech on this campus. One commenter to this article states, get used to it there is no debate on this subject. This isn't over but these brave students continue to fight for their fight  against discrimination on the campus. The truth too  offensive I guess.

May 10th, 2010: FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

U OF C FINDS PRO-LIFE STUDENTS GUILTY AFTER CLOSED-DOOR HEARINGS,
VOWS "MORE SEVERE SANCTIONS" FOR FUTURE PRO-LIFE ACTIVITIES

CALGARY - The University of Calgary has notified eight members of the Campus Pro-Life (CPL) student group that they have been found guilty of a major violation under the Non-Academic Misconduct Policy regarding a pro-life display held last month. The verdict comes one week after the students each attended individual, closed-door hearings with an Associate Vice-Provost during which legal representatives were disallowed.

The verdict is "a formal written warning" that if the students "fail to comply with directives of Campus Security staff in the future" it will "result in more severe sanctions," said Acting Associate Vice-Provost Meghan Houghton, who was the sole decision-maker in the guilty verdict.

"We are going to challenge this verdict," stated Alanna Campbell, CPL President. "We did not break a single University bylaw or regulation and so we will defend ourselves accordingly. We will also not cease exercising our rights to free speech just because they're threatening us. I'd rather be expelled as a principled person than graduate a coward."

Last month, after having set up a pro-life display on campus for the ninth time since 2006, members of the group were notified that they were being charged with a 'Major Violation' under Section 4.10 of the University of Calgary's Non-Academic Misconduct Policy for "failure to comply with a Campus Security officer or University official in legitimate pursuit of his/her duties" when asked to turn their signs inward or leave campus.

In Houghton's decision, she referenced the university's demand that the students failed to comply with: "Signs that welcomed viewers and signs that identified your group as an anti-abortion display could remain outward facing but signs with the actual content of your display must face away from walkways. or any other areas in which persons on campus would have little choice but to look at your display."

"That's blatant content-based discrimination," said Peter Csillag, CPL Vice-President (Internal). "Why weren't abortion advocates, or Falun Gong supporters, forced to place their messages inwards when they protested on campus? You can't have debate if everyone is pointed inwards on themselves. As far as I'm concerned, this verdict against us pro-lifers is not legitimate, and it reveals U of C to be an institute of censorship and double standards-not of higher learning."

In 2006 and 2007, during the first four displays of the Genocide Awareness Project(GAP) on campus, the University defended the students' right to expression under the Charter, but in 2008 the University reversed its policy without explanation.

"This recent hearing and result is just another step in a long history of intimidation and censorship and if they think we'll step down as the result of it then they're sorely mistaken," stated Cameron Wilson, CPL Vice-President (External).

The group's pro-life display, called the Genocide Awareness Project, has been held on the University of Calgary grounds without incident nine times since 2006. The display compares abortion to past historical atrocities, such as the Rwandan genocide and the Holocaust in Nazi Germany. In 2009, the University charged six students with trespassing in relation to the display, but the Crown Prosecutor stayed these charges prior to a trial scheduled for November of 2009. Since then, members of Campus Pro-Life have been threatened with Non-Academic Misconduct upon each display, but only now has the University carried out its threats, beginning with this formal warning.

"We've been informed that there are a lot of possible punishments involved, ranging from warnings to expulsion," stated Cristina Perri, CPL Secretary. "There's nothing they can do to us individually that compares to what hundreds of unborn children encounter each day in our country."

Janus · 5 hours ago

"You can't have debate if everyone is pointed inwards on themselves."

Huh. They can't have "debate" anyway. There is no point in trying to get me to "debate" your "right" to tell me what I'm allowed to do with my own body. I'm not gonna allow it. And very likely, neither are many of the pro choice students. So get used to it: there is no debate.

Calgary university students face expulsion over graphic photos in pro life display

I thought going  to college was for critical thinking and not for censorship.....first the university said that the students were guilty of trespassing on their own campus and then they said that they were guilty of misconduct for having a display of graphic photos comparing abortion to other atrocities.

By: THE CANADIAN PRESS

27/04/2010 4:06 PM

CALGARY - Some University of Calgary students face expulsion over their refusal to remove a graphic anti-abortion display.
A dispute has simmered since 2008 when the university charged the students with trespassing after they refused to turn around graphic signs during a protest.
The charges were later stayed by the Alberta Crown.
Earlier this month, the students received letters that said they had violated a university misconduct policy.
Hearings for the students before the university provost are to be held Wednesday and Friday.
The incoming president of Campus Pro-Life says the fight is over freedom of speech and the school is practicing censorship.

Pro-Life Students Face Possible Expulsion From University of Calgary

Juxtapose this with the silence of the Church and I stand in admiration of these students. Pray for them.  Suport them....
Susie







University of Toronto
Students for Life
April 19, 2010
 Clarissa Luluquisin


April 18th, 2010

CALGARY- The University of Calgary has notified eight of its own students that they are being charged with non-academic misconduct, with a possibility of expulsion, for having set up a pro-life display on campus earlier this month.
Campus Pro-Life (CPL) Club President Leah Hallman stated, “We understand the severity of the charges, but our consciences could not contemplate silence, therefore we must stand by our convictions to fight for the lives of unborn children.”

The group’s Genocide Awareness Project (GAP) display has been held on the University of Calgary grounds without incident eight times since 2006. The GAP display compares abortion to past historical atrocities, such as the Rwandan genocide and the Holocaust in Nazi Germany.
“They failed to convince the crown that we were trespassing on our own campus last year so now they want to charge us with ‘non-academic misconduct’ for exercising our right to express our views,” said Peter Csillag, CPL’s Vice-president. “We condemn and will challenge these charges, as we have with all previous attempts at censoring and intimidating us.”

In 2009, the University charged six students with trespassing in relation to the display, but the crown prosecutor stayed these charges prior to a trial scheduled for November of 2009. The University has threatened participating students with non-academic misconduct charges on the occasion of each display, but this is the first time they are following through with their threat.
“Quite frankly, I can’t help but feel like we’re living parts of the novel One Day In The Life of Ivan Denisovich,” stated Vice-president Cameron Wilson, “it feels almost surreal that we still have to fight this battle on our own campus.”
Campus Pro-Life will be holding a press conference at 10:00am on Monday, April 19th, 2010 outside of the MacKimmie Library Building on the University of Calgary campus to make a formal statement and answer questions pertaining to new developments.

For further information, contact CPL Club President Leah Hallman at (403) 808-3412, Vice-president (external) Cameron Wilson at (403) 668-9624, or lawyer John Carpay of the Canadian Constitution Foundation at (403) 619-8014.

(I have only one word for this at the moment… wow.)