University of Victoria criticized for letting a prof with a record of controversial tweets teach a course on antisemitism

University of Victoria Sign

The University of Victoria, in British Columbia, is facing a backlash after it plans to have a course on the history of antisemitism be taught by a professor with a history of controversial public statements and support for sanctions against Israel.

Shamma Boyarin, an associate professor of English, was to teach a course in the fall entitled “Towards an understanding of Antisemitism.” The program was based on the idea that “even the most fundamental aspects of antisemitism are controversial.”

Now, even though the course has been refocused to look at antisemitism from the early Christian period up to the Protestant Reformation, opponents say they remain concerned about Boyarin’s history of antisemitic tweets and lack of credentials as a student of the subject.

Among those tweets is a recent one in which Boyarin refers to Abe Foxman, former director of the Anti-Defamation League, as a “Zionist pig.” In another outburst, he alleged North American Jews have “actively contributed” to “ethnic cleansing and genocide.”

Maurice Yacowar, a retired University of Calgary professor and donor to UVic, says attitudes like that just aren’t acceptable.

“I was appalled to read the tweets this professor has sent out,” he said in an interview. “I think he has self-disqualified himself from ever having anything to do with a course on antisemitism.”

Yacowar added the refocused course doesn’t resolve his concerns.

“I just have no confidence that he will be better informed in his lectures and seminars than he has been in his tweets,” he said. “I think it is embarrassing to the university to have an antisemite teaching a course like this.”

Unless something is done, he said, his donations of library material and art to UVic will end when his current commitments expire.

“If nothing else works, you have to hit them in the money,” he said.

B’nai Brith Canada has joined the debate, calling for public action to ensure the course “does not become a forum for antisemitic views.”

Michael Mostyn, B’nai Brith’s CEO, said in a news release that moving the course away from modern antisemitism “is an important first step,” but “(W)e are still concerned that instead of educating students on the scourge of Jew-hatred, there is a risk… that hostility toward Jews will instead be promoted.”

Jeff Kushner, president of the Jewish Federation of Vancouver and Victoria Island, said while he disagrees with Boyarin, his views were expressed privately and there is no evidence the professor takes those ideas into his lectures.

As long as Boyarin’s support for the boycott, divestment and sanctions movement and pro-Palestinian opinions are restricted to private communication Kushner said, the principle of academic freedom protects his views. The real concern in the debate, he added, is to ensure students can study in a safe environment.

“I did indicate to the president that I do have one concern—not only do we protect the professor’s academic freedom, but that we also protect the academic freedom of the students to express opinions and explore ideas without fear that the professor’s personal views will make it an unsafe learning environment,” Kushner said.

“Until (Boyarin) says something controversial in the classroom, and as long as he doesn’t objectively punish a student for their views, then there’s nothing to be done beyond expressing our views to (UVic president Kevin) Hall.”

“It boils down to academic freedom,” Kushner added. “We will, of course, be watching and will make ourselves as aware as we can. If it crosses into the territory where students do not have a safe learning environment, then we will hear about it and take action.”

Karen Johnston, UVic’s associate director of public affairs, said in a statement to The CJN that the school is aware of Boyarin’s controversial views, but sees them as protected by free speech guarantees if they are not spread from a university platform.

“We are aware that a faculty member has expressed personal views in public communications which are disturbing to people. Those views are personal. They have not been made on behalf of the university or in the context of their work,” she wrote.

“Canadians have a constitutional right to free speech, subject to limits under the law, and so it cannot be the role of the university to judge or censor its employees’ exercise of free speech in their private lives.

“While all faculty enjoy the privilege of academic freedom, there are also limitations to this right. In this specific instance there is no evidence at this time that the faculty member has or will exceed those limitations in teaching this course. The university will act on any allegation that there has been a violation of university policies against discrimination or harassment, which apply to all members of our community.”

Michael Bloomfield, a board member of the Raoul Wallenberg Centre for Human Rights, said Boyarin’s history of tweets show him to be clearly biased.

“His hostile and demeaning tweets say to all of us that this will not be an impartial course of study,” he said. “It will put Jewish students in a very unfortunate and uncomfortable position.”

Mostyn, Yacowar and Bloomfield reject the claim that Boyarin’s ideas are protected by the principle of academic freedom, arguing they aren’t saying he should be fired for his views, only that the university should not be presenting a course based on historic lies.

“A professor should be free to explore any area he wants and should not be fired for his opinions,” Yacowar said. “The idea of academic freedom does not give the university the right to teach a course that falls below its standards.”

Boyarin did not respond to an email request for comment. His Twitter history has now been sealed to public view.