Mount Royal University appeals labour board ruling on fired professor

Calgary's Mount Royal University is appealing a recent Alberta Labour Relations Board decision that could force the reinstatement of Frances Widdowson, a tenured professor fired in 2021 over conduct the university says made her employment unviable.

Widdowson, known for controversial views on Canada's residential school system, was terminated after participating in social media disputes with colleagues. An arbitrator found her firing disproportionate to her conduct, even though discipline was warranted. The arbitrator noted the issue wasn't her "controversial views on a number of topics" but rather her participation in a Twitter conflict with colleagues.

Instead of reinstatement, the arbitrator recommended a monetary settlement. But the Mount Royal Faculty Association appealed, and in May, the labour relations board ruled the arbitrator's refusal to reinstate was "unreasonable." The board found an inconsistency: recognizing Widdowson's right to hold and express academic views while simultaneously deciding those views made her employment unviable.

On June 3, the university filed for permission to appeal at the Court of Appeal of Alberta, seeking to overturn the board's decision. The filing argues the board made a "fundamental legal error" that "nullifies decades of labour law" by limiting arbitrators' power to order pay-in-lieu of reinstatement.

The university contends Widdowson's academic freedom rights "did not override the overarching contractual obligation" to observe harassment policies. Widdowson said she expected the appeal and is prepared to fight it. "I would like to document the destruction of our institutions for future generations," she said, adding that forcing her reinstatement "has to happen." The case now heads to a higher court as both sides dig in.