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SASKATOON — The University of Saskatchewan’s president publicly apologized to an outspoken professor on Thursday, saying the school “blundered” when it stripped him of his tenure.

One day after firing Robert Buckingham as executive director of the U of S school of public health, the university said Mr. Buckingham will not return to his leadership position but will be offered a tenured faculty position.

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Mr. Buckingham was fired Wednesday after he sent a letter to the provincial government and opposition saying university president Ilene Busch-Vishniac was threatening to cut professors’ tenures short if they spoke out about the controversial TransformUS cost-saving plan.

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Within 12 hours of the letter being made public on Tuesday, Mr. Buckingham met with U of S provost Brett Fairbairn Wednesday and was fired as a tenured professor. He was escorted from campus by security.

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Usually when we hear stories about free speech being snuffed out on campus, the students are the ones doing the snuffing. Acting as self-appointed “safe space” police, students have shut down lectures on everything from men’s issues to abortion; sexuality and politics. Some over-enthused students at Queen’s University — obviously naive to the nature paradox — even went so far as to shut down a “free speech” wall on campus last year. In many cases, the most university officials can be accused of is complacency; of allowing a rowdy few hijack debates, or else, of failing to adequately acquaint students with the fundamentals of free expressions and democratic rights. The administration at the University of Saskatchewan has taken things to an entirely new level.

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