Western University is beefing up security for a lecture by a controversial Toronto professor whose appearances often draw heated protests.

And the school is making a student group pick up the tab.

University of Toronto professor Jordan Peterson, a free speech advocate who made national headlines after refusing to use gender-neutral pronouns in his classroom, is speaking Saturday at Western.

“I think there will definitely be some sort of protest,” said first-year student Kyle Maresky, an organizer of the London lecture.

Tickets sold out over the weekend for Peterson’s talk, an event that has sparked a debate about free speech on campus.

Maresky said he met with school officials and campus police who told him Young Canadians in Action, the group bringing Peterson to Western, would have to foot the $1,200 security bill.

Young Canadians in Action is a new organization at Western that advocates for free speech and debate.

Jana Luker, Western’s vice-­president of student experience, said the fee covers paying for campus police to provide security.

“With any speaker event that we have, we just make sure the students can have a safe ­environment,” said Luker, adding that protests greeting Peterson’s past appearances played a role in the security assessment.

Maresky said he was initially suspicious when told his group would have to cover the security bill.

“We’ve heard stories about universities trying to silence our kind of (events) by imposing these kind of fees, so we were skeptical about the reasoning,” he said.

But after Luker helped him apply to a student fund to cover nearly half the costs, Maresky said his concerns were satisfied.

Peterson will talk about a range of issues, including free speech at universities and Bill C-16, followed by a question-and-answer period.

One of the most galvanizing figures in Canadian academia, he gained notoriety after releasing a series of videos criticizing Bill C-16, legislation to amend the Canadian Human Rights Act by adding gender identity and gender expression to the list of prohibited grounds of discrimination.

Peterson refuses to use non-binary pronouns such as “ze” in reference to those wishing to be called something other than “he” or “she.”

Supporters champion him for taking a stand against political correctness run amok, while detractors accuse him of attacking human rights and creating a dangerous environment for the transgendered community.

The psychology professor’s outspoken views have drawn both sold-out crowds and demonstrations — some of them turning violent — to his talks.

The Western Gazette, the university’s student newspaper, recently published an editorial calling Peterson’s views discriminatory.

“Everyone is entitled to speak their mind . . . However, just because someone has the right to an opinion, does not mean they have the right to a platform for their opinion,” the editorial said.

“By mis-gendering students and failing to acknowledge the legitimacy of trans and non-binary students, Peterson is being discriminatory.”

The University Students’ Council (USC) is taking extra steps to make sure students feel safe and supported on Saturday.

USC president Eddy Avila said the Peer Support Centre will be open for students to share their feelings in a welcoming environment.

“We want to be able to at least provide a space for those who feel personally affected by it,” he said of Peterson’s visit.

Last week, Peterson packed the 400-seat auditorium at the National Gallery of Canada in Ottawa, where nearly 100 protesters gathered outside to denounce his appearance.

dcarruthers@postmedia.com

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THE EVENT

What:Jordan Peterson lecture

When: 2-4:30 p.m. Saturday

Where: Natural Sciences Centre room 145, Western University, London

Tickets: Sold out