Cape Breton students embroiled in free speech controversy at Ontario university

SYDNEY ? Two Cape Breton students are in the middle of a controversy at Queen?s University in Kingston, Ont.

Corey Schruder, of Glace Bay, and Tyler Lively, of Sydney, are locked in a battle with the university?s administration about a free speech wall that was put up by a group called Queen?s Students for Liberty, and promptly torn down by campus security.

?We had it to bring attention to the fact that freedom of speech and academic freedom are under threat at Canadian universities,? said Lively in phone interview from Kingston.

The free speech wall was part of a campaign to raise awareness about free expression rights in Canada and was co-sponsored by the Justice Centre for Constitutional Freedoms.

The wall was erected April 2 around 3 p.m. and any student was welcome to write anything on the canvas. Campus security removed and confiscated the canvas after some students wrote what they considered to be offensive comments.

Representatives of Queen?s University were not available for comment, but said in a press release: ?A member of the university?s administration went to the location and noted racial slurs and hateful language on the wall. The managers of the space had asked the organizers of the display to take down the offensive content, and that had not yet been done when campus security was contacted to remove the wall.?

?The whole point is not about it being controversial, it?s about promoting freedom of expression,? said Schruder. ?Freedom of expression is not controversial.?

The group booked the space for the wall in advance and were forthcoming about what they planned on doing. The wall was scheduled to stand from April 2 to April 5.

?Although it may have been controversial, it wasn?t my intent for people to write anything like this on it. It was my intent for people to write things they wouldn?t feel comfortable saying in a more formal setting,? said Lively.

Administration would not give specific examples of the comments they found offensive.

?Queen?s recognizes the right of free speech, but appreciates too the limits on free speech. Hate speech and racial slurs have no place on our campus,? said Alan Harrison, provost and vice-principal, in the release. ?We strive to foster an inclusive and respectful community, and believe in the rights of our students, faculty and staff to be a part of this community without fear, discrimination or harassment of any kind.?

The group put up a second wall on April 3, which was also taken down by the university, again with no specific offensive comments mentioned as the reason. They group?s booking was also cancelled.

?Queen?s University has decided that feelings matter more than freedom,? said Lively.

?

Caelin Coleman of North Sydney is a first-year journalism student at Holland College in Charlottetown, P.E.I., working on an internship at The Post.

Source: http://www.capebretonpost.com/News/Local/2013-04-05/article-3214980/Cape-Breton-students-embroiled-in-free-speech-controversy-at-Ontario-university/1

ron paul nevada buffalo chicken dip super bowl 2012 soul train nevada caucus ufc 143 what time does the super bowl start