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The Carleton professor at the centre of a “gag order” controversy threw down the gauntlet Monday in a dispute that threatens to lead to an ugly confrontation between the university’s board of governors and its faculty.

Biology professor Root Gorelick, a faculty representative on the board, was given until Monday to sign a board confidentiality agreement that forbids all governors from commenting publicly about board business. He refused.

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The ban remains in force for the lifetimes of all governors.

Gorelick is backed by the Canadian Association of University Teachers, its sister organization in the United States and Carleton’s own academic, non-academic and student unions.

CAUT has threatened to “censure” the university if it doesn’t drop its demand — a rare move that would include discouraging academics from taking jobs and holding conferences at Carleton.

Gorelick, who claims the policy is undemocratic and stifles his right to free speech, has blogged about public meetings of the board.