WATERLOO — Wilfrid Laurier University is roiled by controversy over free speech and sexual violence after students clashed over a guest speaker who then cancelled, citing safety concerns.

"There have been a lot of hurt feelings," said Lauren Eisler, acting dean of human and social sciences. "One of our primary roles is to provide students the opportunity to engage in really difficult debates. I'm disturbed that we missed that opportunity."

A group of criminology students invited Toronto lawyer Danielle Robitaille to speak about the role of defence counsel in the legal system. Robitaille has advocated for women's rights. She helped defend CBC radio host Jian Ghomeshi, famously acquitted of sexual assault.

A group of students dedicated to ending sexual violence rallied opposition, saying Robitaille's March 8 appearance would further harm victims.

That's because Robitaille perpetuated rape myths and attacked the credibility of victims in defending Ghomeshi, said Karly Rath, a co-founder of Advocates for a Student Culture of Consent. The group said: "We believe this event is counterproductive, despite the rhetoric of celebrating a female lawyer. Her gender alone does not mean she is advocating for gender equality."

Robitaille cancelled her appearance March 6 after criminology students told her about campus calls to cancel her speech.

In cancelling, Robitaille cited concerns about whether "everyone can be physically safe" during her appearance at the Brantford campus. She cited the lack of time to plan for risks. She also applauded "the students exercising their right to voice their concerns."

"Even without uttering a word, one of the main points in my speech has been made: the complaints and the call to cancel my talk rest on a fundamental misunderstanding of the justice system and the nature of the role of defence counsel in the adversarial process," Robitaille wrote to the students who invited her.

The Criminology Student Association that invited her despairs that "this outcome is in direct opposition to the university's role in thinking critically and challenging students with ideas that they may not be entirely comfortable with."

Scholar David Haskell also sees the outcome as an attack on free speech that undermines the purpose of the university.

"When you shut down the ability of someone to come and give an idea that you may not be comfortable with, critical thinking can't develop," said Haskell, an associate professor at Laurier who teaches public speaking. "I want people to ask her hard questions. But I want her to be able to respond.

"In the past we used to say, 'I disagree with you.' Now we say, 'What you say makes me feel unsafe.' And that change is very manipulative. By saying harm or unsafe, you're more likely to get your way."

Robitaille's cancellation "is a victory in ways, too, because we believe survivors," said Taylor Berzins, co-founder of the group that opposed her appearance. Berzins is dismayed to see the cancellation framed as a safety concern and an attack on free speech, saying the group didn't plan to protest at the speech.

"We believe this was a democratic action and we utilized the power of free speech," Berzins said.

Eisler said security would have been in place had Robitaille appeared, and it's unclear to the university if protests were planned.

She understands that the outcome can be seen as an attack on students' right to debate and ask hard questions. She can also see how Robitaille's appearance might upset sexual assault victims. It's why Laurier has responded by activating supports for victims of sexual violence, she said.

"The university must have supports in place if people are upset or threatened by the kinds of conversations that are going to occur," Eisler said.

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Robitaille was unavailable for an interview Friday. Her law office released her correspondence to Laurier students, in which Robitaille says she would have showed up if given more time to prepare for possible protests.

"I simply don't have a sense of the scope of the objection, whether any international women's day demonstrations will be combined with protests against the talk," Robitaille wrote in cancelling. "From my perspective the roadblock here is logistical and there are no hard feelings."