Teachers’ censure of law school paused

The Canadian Association of University Teachers has called for a suspension of the censure against the University of Toronto after the school met a key condition in lifting the measures, the organization said Friday.

The main condition, CAUT said, was re-offering Valentina Azarova a position as director of the International Human Rights Program (IHRP). The censure began in April after the university rescinded an employment offer to Azarova last year when a sitting judge and program donor intervened and expressed concern with her previous work on Israel.

“Considering this development, the CAUT Executive Committee is advising that the censure of the Administration of the University of Toronto be suspended pending a final decision by CAUT Council at its meeting of November 25 and 26,” the organization said.

CAUT said the interference violated widely accepted principles of academic freedom. “Unless universities and colleges are actively protected from outside interference and intrusion, their integrity and mission are imperiled,” the organization said in a statement.

Azarova has declined the offer, CAUT said, noting “her decision, while unfortunate, is understandable given the university’s initial reaction to the unfounded and scurrilous attacks on her reputation and her research.”

Azarova did not reply to a request for comment.

In a statement, a spokesperson for U of T said the school welcomes the announcement from CAUT.

The Faculty of Law resumed the search for program director in June, the statement noted, and “extended an offer to the preferred candidate this summer. The preferred candidate expressed their appreciation for what they described as a good-faith offer, but ultimately decided to decline.”