Article content

A proposed University of B.C. statement that attempts to take into account all sides of the free-speech debate has pleased precious few.

UBC officials are back to the drawing board after receiving 200 responses, and many criticisms, of a working group’s draft policy on free expression. A new statement is expected in the spring, says Prof. Neil Guppy, senior adviser on academic freedom.

We apologize, but this video has failed to load.

tap here to see other videos from our team. Try refreshing your browser, or Douglas Todd: UBC fails to 'reconcile the irreconcilable' on free speech Back to video

Critics say UBC’s draft statement failed to reconcile two irreconcilable values — the right to free expression and the right to be protected from remarks that someone, especially members of “marginalized” groups, might interpret as offensive or psychologically harmful.

Critics predicted endless future conflict if UBC adopted a statement that they argue threatens the open exchange of ideas, in part because it included the sentence: “One person’s freedom of expression cannot be allowed to trample the freedom and well-being of others.”