Censure against U of T temporarily suspended after school reverses course in hiring controversy
CBC
A censure against the University of Toronto has been temporarily suspended after the school reversed course on a hiring controversy that saw a federal tax judge allegedly try to block the hiring of an international law practitioner who has written widely on Israel-Palestinian affairs.
The Canadian Association of University Teachers (CAUT), which imposed the censure in April, says it has called for a pause on the measure after it says the school met one of its key demands: to re-offer the position of director of the school's International Human Rights Program to Valentina Azarova.
Last July, Azarova emerged as the unanimous choice to be the new director for the program. But in early September, the university halted the hiring process altogether. The university previously told CBC News the move was a matter of timing and immigration logistics — and not the fact that the confidential hiring process was breached.
After careful consideration, the CAUT says, Azarova has declined the offer.
"Her decision, while unfortunate, is understandable given the University's initial reaction to the unfounded and scurrilous attacks on her reputation and her research," CAUT said in a statement Friday.
CBC News has reached out to both Azarova and the University of Toronto for comment.
In a news release Friday, the group called the university's decision a "victory for academic freedom."