Professor Jan Grabowski expresses concern about historical precision

uOttawa called itself "Canada's university" under Allan Rock, and "Canada's university" showed itself to be very concerned about Israel's image, via many notable events. 

"Jan Grabowski is Professor of History at the University of Ottawa and Senior Invitational Scholar at the Advanced Holocaust Studies Center at the United States Holocaust Memorial Museum. He received the 2014 Yad Vashem International Book Prize for Holocaust Research for his book Judenjagd."

Here (September 11, 2016 -- Haaretz), professor Grabowski suggests that a country would use the "powerful machinery of state" to shape history to its advantage and to make laws to facilitate such. He's referring to Poland of course:

Opinion // Challenge Poland's Attempts to Whitewash Its WWII anti-Jewish Hostility 

The students need to organize an academic debate between professor Jan Grabowski and doctor Norman Finkelstein, author of the authoritatively documented book The Holocaust Industry. The topic of state interference on historical precision is too important to leave to opinion media articles.

Professor Yoni Freedhoff writes about Palestinian terrorism, on his nutrition and healthy diet blog

University of Ottawa's professor Yoni Freedhoff (Faculty of Medicine) has a popular blog about nutrition and body weight (link on image). Every Saturday he draws his readers' attention to a few articles of broad societal interest.

Last Saturday (July 2) he recommended this article about "Palestinian terrorists in Israel".

I look forward to his upcoming recommendation about US-funded "Israeli terrorism perpetrated by Israel". I wonder if he will make that reading suggestion, since he usual recommends a balanced diet?

Allan Rock 'hopes' to become a law professor

Allan Rock's 8-year presidency at the University of Ottawa (Canada) ends this month (June 2016).

There has been some speculation about whether or not the newly elected Trudeau government would give the former federal minister and former Liberal candidate for Prime Minister a status job such as ambassador to a G8 country or Senate seat or high-level judgeship.

It appears that none of that is to pass (see below). Allan Rock is too much of a continued liability for the Liberal Party. Voters have not forgotten his three major political fiascos: the Irving ethics saga, tainted blood victim abandonment, and the gun registry costs manipulation.

Following his demotion from the Canadian ambassadorship at the UN, Rock continued to have a "shit magnet in his pocket" at the University of Ottawa where he decided that it would be a good idea for his family to start a legal marijuana enterprise in anticipation of a Trudeau legalization.

Furthermore, his actions at the U of O have led to unresolved legal cases, such as his unilateral dissolution of the entire student hockey team as part of his image management of sexual assault charges, which gave rise to a class action lawsuit against him and the school.

It is therefore not surprising that Trudeau is staying away from Rock, and is in no rush to legalize marijuana.

Yesterday, we learned in the school's alumnus magazine that:

"Rock is so deeply embedded in the University that he will not be gone for long. After a sabbatical, during which he will spend a semester at a U.S. law school, he hopes to teach in the Faculty of Law."

Therefore, in the tradition of Liberal nepotism, Rock "hopes" to be hired in the Faculty of Law where his "boss" would be dean Nathalie Des Rosiers, the dean he recently placed in that very position, after a period of allowing her to be in charge of the Canadian Civil Liberties Association.

One problem is that Rock does not have any graduate degree and is therefore not eligible for a tenure-track professorship position, if the rules of peer-committee selection are followed, which apply the academic standards on hiring.

Is Rock's planned "semester at a U.S. law School" intended to provided him with a "graduate degree", or experience that a peer-committee could interpret as equivalent to a graduate degree? If so, the value of a graduate law degree will have been degraded significantly.

Furthermore, how can Rock's "semester" be part of a "sabbatical" if he has not already been de facto hired as a professor, prior to any academic committee review?

I would recommend that a media organization make a freedom of information request to learn about the new agreement that the U of O (which Rock still heads) has made with Mr. Rock about his future.

Academic standards in the Faculty of Law are at stake, as is the very principle of university collegial governance.

Academic supression in the U of O Faculty of Law: Zabo v. University of Ottawa

Zeph Zabo (left), Denis Rancourt (right), with M. Zabo's new book about his ordeal

M. Zabo was subjected to an egregious case of suppression of his academic freedom. Two external thesis evaluators accepted his PhD thesis for defence but two internal U of O law professors wanted him to write a different thesis, one about economic rather than legal analysis. Then "our" Canadian courts refused to recognize that he had a contract with the university that had formally accepted his originally planned thesis topic. Despicable case of academic abuse and legal discrimination.

I support M. Zabo's vehement quest for reparation and justice. Enough is enough. The U of O must be accountable.

Related post: Book.

Court decisions are here.

U of O's Stéphane Émard-Chabot thinks the secrecy laws are just fine

U of O's law professor Stéphane Émard-Chabot thinks the secrecy laws are just fine.

Émard-Chabot is a former chef of staff of president Allan Rock and, as such, was subjected to an access request in the past (link) (link). The important stuff was never disclosed.

Recent article:
Editorial: The shroud of secrecy at the Ottawa Police Services Board (LINK):

That makes the exemption sound broad, but Stéphane Émard-Chabot, a municipal law expert at the University of Ottawa and former city councillor, says it’s actually quite a high bar.

“The fact that you’re dealing with contentious issues, that’s certainly not a reason in itself to go in private,” he says. “You have to show the ‘outweigh’ factor: the fact that keeping it private is paramount or of such importance that it outweighs the principle of keeping things open.”

Liana Voia video interview with Denis Rancourt: Insights

U of O breaks gender-washroom apartheid

Finally, something we can all get behind.

U of O Watch endorses this new institutional opening allowing more student freedom. Just don't be calling in the police every time there is a hiccup.


New 'all-gender' washrooms set to open at University of Ottawa: 'We are leaving it up to individuals to use the facility they feel most comfortable with'
-- CBC News, 1 May 2016

U of O's socially responsible lawyer, Amir Attaran: Patients killed by goverment negligence

Durham Region, 29 April 2016:
Cancer Care Ontario ‘covering up’ casualties by hiding stem cell data, critics charge


U of O's socially responsible lawyer, Amir Attaran, uncovers another distasteful institutional misbehaviour. This time, refusing to disclose how many patients are killed by bad decisions and failing to take corrective action.

" "They're covering up," said Amir Attaran, a professor in the faculties of law and medicine at University of Ottawa. "It is a cynical abuse of privacy law, to shield a callous and incompetent agency from disclosing how many Ontarians its inattention and bad management have killed. Simple as that." "

And again

Allan Rock is being himself. Fire an entire hockey team in one case. Don't accommodate a single student for one course in another. Instead, force the student to go legal. That's in character.

University accused of discrimination for requiring dyslexic student to take course in French

Critics say human rights law trumps University of Ottawa's tradition of bilingualism

By Erica Johnson, CBC News Posted: Apr 25, 2016 5:00 AM ET Last Updated: Apr 25, 2016 7:54 AM ET

The Student Federation of the University of Ottawa says it has seen many cases where the university has 'failed to provide adequate accommodations.' (CBC)

(Editor's note: We are back. Sorry that we missed March.)
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Rancourt v. St. Lewis: Supreme Court judgement harms freedom of expression and fair trial rights in Canada --OCLA

EN FRANCAIS ICI

Release: Rancourt v. St. Lewis: Supreme Court judgement harms freedom of expression and fair trial rights in Canada

Posted on February 18, 2016 by admin

 

(OTTAWA, February 18, 2016) – The Ontario Civil Liberties Association (OCLA) opposes the Supreme Court of Canada’s judgement released today, which denies the appeal application of Dr. Denis Rancourt. (Links below.)

The judgement erodes freedom of speech and fair trial rights in Canada:

• The Court condoned permanent censorship (enforceable by jail) of future and unknown expression if the defendant cannot afford to pay possible damages.

• The Court allowed the defendant to be barred from any defence because he chose to rely solely on the plaintiff’s evidence.

• The Court refused to consider the defendant’s argument that court-ordered legal costs themselves are an unconstitutional infringement on the right of freedom of expression when the plaintiff’s legal costs were paid by the University of Ottawa.

• The Court violated its own constitutional duty by refusing to hear that the Ontario appellate court itself had violated Dr. Rancourt’s French language rights.

• The Court refused to hear that the Canadian common law of judicial bias is contrary to the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights, and is therefore unconstitutional.

Dr. Rancourt will appeal the Supreme Court’s decision to the Human Rights Committee of the United Nations, as allowed by the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights, which Canada ratified.

Links:
Supreme Court judgement of February 18, 2016: http://scc-csc.lexum.com/scc-csc/news/en/item/5165/index.do
Closing submission: http://ocla.ca/wp-content/uploads/2016/02/2015-11-06-RvStL-SCCLTA-Reply.pdf
Originating application submission: http://ocla.ca/wp-content/uploads/2016/02/2015-09-28-RvStL-SCCLTA-Application.pdf

About the Ontario Civil Liberties Association
The Ontario Civil Liberties Association (OCLA) defends civil liberties at a time when fundamental freedoms are being eroded in all spheres of social life. OCLA opposes institutional policies and decisions that deprive individuals of their personal liberty or exclude individuals from participation in the democratic functions of society.

Contact:
Joseph Hickey
Executive Director
Ontario Civil Liberties Association (OCLA) http://ocla.ca

Justice corrompue, Zabo vs. Université d'Ottawa --ebook

  Justice corrompue, Zabo vs. Université d'Ottawa: Connaître vos droits et savoir vous battre pour rétablir la justice (Volume 1). (French Edition) Kindle Edition

by Zeph Zabo (Author)

Published: 31 January 2016 

"Basé sur une histoire vraie, macabre et très dévastatrice, ce livre constitue le fruit du combat herculéen de l’auteur pour le rétablissement de la vérité et de la justice dans cette affaire judiciaire connue et répertoriée sous le nom Zabo vs. Université d’Ottawa. Il vise aussi à préserver la justice, la liberté, l’égalité, l’excellence et les valeurs morales au sein des institutions universitaire et judiciaires concernées.

Il fait le récit d’une histoire de barbarie, de corruption, d'une culture de violation des règlements, de violation abusive du contrat université-étudiant, de parodie et déni de justice en milieu universitaire.

Dans ce récit émouvant et plein de rebondissements, qui s’appuie notamment sur les affidavits sous serment des deux directeurs du programme de doctorat en droit de l’Université d’Ottawa témoignant en faveur de l’étudiant concerné, l'auteur dénonce vigoureusement la crucifixion dont il a été victime et le calvaire vécu."

U of O appeals from interim motion judgement to a panel of the Divisional Court

The U of O is doing everything it can to strike the union's affidavit of evidence for the judicial review of the dismissal of Rancourt

Rancourt's union (Association of Professors of the University of Ottawa, APUO) is pursuing a judicial review (appeal) of an arbitrator's January 27, 2014 decision to uphold the university's December 10, 2008 dismissal of tenured full-professor Denis Rancourt. (link)

The arbitrator made negative findings in a total absence of evidence, and ignored relevant evidence that contradicted his findings. He also used a "report" obtained by covert surveillance, which was not in evidence. These were violations of natural justice, and are grounds in the judicial review.

In order to prove the arbitrator's errors, the union must bring an affidavit in the judicial review to say what actually happened during the arbitration hearings, because no court transcript of the 28-day hearing is available.

(The hearings were held between May 2, 2011 to June 26, 2013. The university appeared to do everything it could to delay and complexify the process, including a broad and sustained campaign of character assassination of Denis Rancourt.)

Thus, the union's affidavit about what actually occurred in the arbitration is necessary for the judicial review. Yet, the university is spending tremendous resources in now-repeated attempts to disallow the union's affidavit.

The university can of course challenge the union's affidavit and enter its own affidavit in the judicial review itself. But, instead, it seeks to bar the union from even bringing an affidavit.

The first attempt by the university to bar the union's affidavit was a motion to a judge of the appellate court (Divisional Court for Ontario) to strike out the union's entire affidavit. This attempt failed entirely. The appellate judge was unambiguous and ordered the university to pay the union's costs for the motion. (See appellate judge's ruling HERE, and U of O Watch article HERE.)

That is not good enough for the university. President Allan Rock instructed the university hired lawyers to appeal the appellate judge's judgement to a full panel of three appellate court judges. This will be a second costly attempt to strike out the union's needed affidavit so that the evidence cannot be used in the judicial review. Without the affidavit, or any evidence about what actually was said in the hearings, the judicial review is destined to fail.

The union is resisting this second attempt and will request that punitive costs be ordered against the university. The hearing before a panel of the Divisional Court is scheduled for April 2016.

Allan Rock administration lets accused rapist escape out of country

It turns out the U of O admin had a detailed complaint in-hand and let the accused rapist escape.

Maybe Allan Rock was too busy having a committee discuss rape culture, and firing an entire hockey team, to actually protect students...?

Another U of O student reported man now charged with sexual assault

That student – who spoke on the condition that her name not be published – shared with Metro a detailed complaint she emailed to the university about the same man identified by Morin.

The woman sent the complaint on Nov. 30 using her university email account to a member of the school’s Protection Services unit, which investigates crimes that happen on campus.

Courses ended Dec. 9. Fall-term examination period ended Dec. 22. Meanwhile, the accused rapist has escaped to Lebanon, and there is no word that the university asked the police to investigate the broader incidents.

More proof that the Allan Rock rape culture episode was indeed primarily an image management exercise, as reported by concerned students at the time.

Critical examination of Romeo Dallaire's role in Rwanda and connection to Allan Rock

Former Liberal Party of Canada heavyweight U of O president Allan Rock's previous stint was to push military interventionism, as Canada's ambassador to the UN. He then used the university to promote the "responsibility to protect" (R2P) doctrine directly to students and to the Canadian public.

Recently author/researcher Yves Engler critically exposed how R2P has been propped up by biased media coverage of former Liberal senator Romeo Dallaire's role in Rwanda:

"While two decades old, the distortion of the Rwandan tragedy continues to have political impacts today. It has given ideological cover to dictator Paul Kagame’s repeated invasions of the Congo and domestic repression. In addition, this foreign policy myth has been used to justify foreign military intervention as is the case with the current political crisis in Burundi. The myth of Dallaire in Rwanda is also cited to rationalize the Responsibility to Protect doctrine, when, in factm the true story illustrates the inevitable duplicitousness of foreign interventions."

Yves Engler, Romeo Dallaire in Rwanda: The Myth Continues, Dissident Voice, 28 December 2015.