We call on Mr. James Turk and the Canadian Association of University Teachers (CAUT) to stop its unwarranted investigation into the academic freedom of private universities and issue a public apology to Trinity Western University, Redeemer University College, Canadian Mennonite University, and Crandall University, for putting a black mark on their reputations.

The CAUT claims to be "an outspoken defender of academic freedom" who "works actively in the public interest to improve quality and accessibility of post-secondary education in Canada (posted on CAUT website)." Ironically, this very Association that works on behalf of its members to protect their rights and academic freedoms, is now infringing on the rights of private Universities and qualified academics, who are not members of the CAUT.

The CAUT, under the guidance of its President James Turk, recently formed a committee to spend months investigating the faith statements of private Christian Universities, statements so obvious they are easily available on their website. Its report on Trinity Western University, for example, accuses the school of curbing Academic freedom with no more evidence than the fact it is a faith based University with a clear mission statement and moral code.

This is not an open inquiry into the truth and it verges on harassment. No issue about private Universities has been raised by the CAUT membership and none of the Universities involved are governed by the CAUT. The CAUT is unfairly smearing the good reputation of the Universities in question without verifiable evidence.

As concerned Canadian citizens who want to protect the freedom of both academic expression, speech, and religion in our democratic society, we echo the call of concerned University Teachers to "cease its harassment of these institutions, for which there is no mandate from the membership at large. This harassment is inconsistent with the ethos of religious freedom affirmed by the Supreme Court of Canada and human rights law."

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