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WATERLOO, Ontario (LifeSiteNews) — A group of Ontario professors have publicly rebuked the University of Waterloo’s president for condemning the pro-family Million Person March that swept the nation last week.

On September 24, four members of the Executive Committee of the Waterloo chapter of the Society for Academic Freedom and Scholarship demanded an apology from University of Waterloo president Vivek Goel for labelling the Million Person March as “hateful.” 

“The letter is inappropriate for a university president: it is factually incorrect, it violates the principle of institutional neutrality, and it is uncivil,” the four professors from the nearby Wilfred Laurier University (WLU) argued in their open letter to Goel. “It will divide the university community and create a climate of self censorship. We condemn it in the strongest possible terms.” 

Goel’s condemnation came on September 19, the day before the Million Person March, a nationwide event that saw Canadians of all races and religions take to the streets to protest LGBT indoctrination in schools.  

Exclusive footage from LifeSiteNews showed an estimated 5,000 citizens gathered in Ottawa in support of the September 20 protest, rivaled by about 350 counter-protesters. Thousands of Canadians gathered in other cities as well to show their support for parental rights in education.

The protest, organized by Muslim Canadians, adopted the slogan “Leave our kids alone,” specifically in regard to gender ideology, age-inappropriate sexual content in school libraries, and LGBT propaganda.    

However, Goel’s condemnatory email painted the march in a different light, claiming, “By now many of you will have heard about anti-Trans and anti-2SLGBTQIA+ events happening across our country on Wednesday. I want to acknowledge the damaging effects these events will have on many people in our community.”  

“The University of Waterloo stands in solidarity with Canada’s queer community during these hateful protests,” he added. “We are working to ensure that our University remains a place free from hate and violence. We’re looking at our campus culture and safety protocols to find ways to be better. More inclusive. More thoughtful. More deliberate.”  

The professors’ letter pointed out that Goel grossly misrepresented the march’s goal, which could easily be found online by looking up the Million Person March’s social media account on X, formerly known as Twitter.  

“Not only is the letter partisan but it is uncivil,” the letter argued. “A truth-seeking university must encourage people to engage critically with ideas and proposals. As president of the University of Waterloo, your duty is to model civil discourse, to show students and all members of the community that scholars and intellectuals approach matters of controversy dispassionately and in good faith.”  

“Defaming those whose views differ from one’s own as bigots or hateful stifles discussion and demeans your office,” it continued. “Your actions cannot but weaken the public’s respect for the university.” 

The professors insisted that Goel’s statement further divides the university community and makes pro-family parents on campus feel “excluded.” 

“Your email further entrenches the climate of fear and self-censorship which has been growing for years at the University of Waterloo,” they charged. “We have been contacted by many UW professors who would speak out on this issue, but fear for their jobs. Though completely supportive of the content, none were willing to sign this letter. This is surely an indictment of UW governance and administration.” 

“A university campus that so constrains the freedom of action for members of the academic community cannot, with any credibility, claim to stand up for academic freedom, freedom of conscience and diversity of perspective,” the professors stated.  

“We call on you to apologize to the university community, to publicly retract the letter and to make a public commitment to institutional neutrality,” the professors wrote.  

“We are also calling on the political parties to commit to punitive financial sanctions against universities that breach the principle of institutional neutrality and use tax-payer dollars to pursue openly ideological agendas,” the letter concluded.  

The letter’s sentiments were shared by Waterloo professor emeritus Edward R. Vrscay who told LifeSiteNews, “I am in complete agreement with the letter from the WLU professors.”  

“I’m afraid that this most unwise move by UW’s President will contribute toward further polarization, mistrust and fear on campus,” he added, making reference to Prime Minister Justin Trudeau’s recent condemnation of the march.  

“It will be quite understandable if the UW administration receives similar negative feedback in the future – and not only from the Muslim community, as can be inferred from the letter written by the WLU professors,” Vrscay continued.  

Send an urgent message to Canadian legislators and courts telling them to uphold parental rights.