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We tend to be in an era where people are assuming or presuming upon themselves a role or authority or power to want to police people’s thoughts and opinions. That’s a dangerous move.

He was told the form he had asked students to sign interfered with the school’s respectful-workplace policy and human rights code, he said.

“I was perplexed, surprised. We’ve spent so much time talking about developing skills of assessment, critical thinking, being ready for the 21st century, dealing with complex issues of social agendas,” Persinger said Tuesday.

“One of the first things I say in the first lecture is, one of the purposes of this course is to free you from being a victim of your own language. … I tell all my classes: You can ask any question you want, no matter how politically incorrect. You can use the words you want, no matter how inappropriate. We will then evaluate it step by step.”

Now, the Sudbury, Ont., university’s faculty association has filed an internal grievance on Persinger’s behalf, saying the school’s actions violate academic freedom and have the potential to “chill” campus speech.

University is all about exposing students to ideas that might challenge their beliefs, said James Ketchen, the association’s president.

“I teach law and justice. I talk about concepts all the time that students may find offensive, that may affect their preconceptions of the world. It’s what we do,” he said.

“We tend to be in an era where people are assuming or presuming upon themselves a role or authority or power to want to police people’s thoughts and opinions. That’s a dangerous move.”

But Robert Kerr, the school’s vice-president academic and provost, said the issue has nothing to do with academic freedom or the contents of Persinger’s lectures.