Tuesday, March 15, 2011

University president douchebag contest


From: Denis Rancourt <>
Date: Tue, Mar 15, 2011 at 2:53 PM
Subject: your treatment of Nick Day
To: Daniel Woolf [Principal/President, Queen's University, Canada]

Dear Daniel,

I recently read your blog post about your March 10th meeting with student Rector Nick Day. I also read Mr. Day's article posted at rabble.ca.

I am outraged to witness a university president overstep accepted bounds of fairness and ethical collegial behaviour to the extent that you have in this matter, not to mention your outright disregard for academic freedom and foundational principles of representative democracy.

If your behaviour is allowed to stand without a retraction and apology then Canadian academia will have reached a new low regarding the extent to which a president (principal) can disregard accepted norms in both the university environment and in society for treating others, and student representatives in particular.

I am disturbed by your actions.

I was compelled to blog about this matter here:
http://uofowatch.blogspot.com/2011/03/university-president-douchebag-contest.html

"Douchebag" is an insult. It is not libel. What you have done to Mr. Day is, among other things, both defamatory and libelous. And you have done it from your position as a public figure.

Please send me any needed corrections about my blog post, if there is something I have misunderstood.

Sincerely,
Dr. Denis G. Rancourt
Former physics professor, University of Ottawa

Cc: Civil society, supporters of academic freedom


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