‘Anti-Semitic’ social media posts cited

Next Target: Lethbridge U Prof. Anthony Hall

Powerful anti-free speech forces struck a major blow against Canadian academe and civil society this week with the firing of a veteran York University laboratory technician from his position in the Department of Physics and Astronomy.

Canada’s branch of B’nai Brith pointed to controversial social media posts the group deemed anti-Semetic to request York administrators take “real action” against the employee.

Ilana Shneider of CIJ News reports:

In a letter from the Office of the Dean, Faculty of Science at York University which was obtained by CIJnews, Nikolaos Balaskas was terminated for cause effective September 14, 2016 because of “continued conduct, actions and behaviours” which are “unacceptable and inconsistent with your obligations and responsibilities as an employee of York University”.

“This is a very positive step, coming from a university where there have been ongoing, and very public, issues of antisemitism. It is incredibly heartening to see that the administration, in this case, not only took the allegations seriously but took real action to correct the problem,” said Amanda Hohmann, National Director, of The League For Human Rights of B’nai Brith Canada.

Continue reading B’nai Brith Celebrates Sacking of York U Lab Technician →