Dawson College teachers say government probe into tensions on campus creating climate of fear

Dawson College teachers say their academic freedom is under threat as an investigation is underway into rising tensions on campus over the Israel-Hamas war.

Teachers at Dawson College say their academic freedom is under threat as an investigation is underway into rising tensions on campus over the conflict in the Middle East.

The Dawson Teachers' Union says it has created a climate of fear and intimidation, and worries teachers will shy away from talking about the subject.

The investigation was meant to look into complaints that the Israel-Hamas war has created an unsafe climate on campus.

Instead, the teachers' union says members feel they’re being intimidated into shying away from course material critical of Israel.

“It’s already had a chilling effect on our teachers,” Antonia Fikkert, secretary-treasurer of the Dawson Teachers' Union, told CTV News.

As far as the union knows, no teachers have been questioned yet. But in September, the union said Quebec’s education ministry put pressure on the college to question courses that discuss Palestinian culture.

“We have a lot of teachers that are concerned. That not only are they being suddenly called in for questioning about their courses, they’ll be called in front of, you know, an official investigation by the ministry about their courses,” Fikkert said.

Earlier this month, the Quebec Federation of Teachers Unions sent a letter to the Higher Education Minister Pascale Déry accusing her of using the inquiry process as a political tool.

They also accuse her of having the appearance of a conflict of interest before becoming a minister. Déry sat on the board of the Centre for Israel and Jewish Affairs (CIJA) — a lobby group that had been advocating for stronger action to protect Jewish and non-Jewish students on campus.

“When the inquiry was announced in December, that same lobby boasted that it played a part in having that inquiry announced. So, it raises questions at least,” said Yves de Repentigny, vice-president of the CEGEP group at the Fédération nationale des enseignantes et des enseignants du Québec (FNEEQ).

Déry did not respond to the allegations.

But her office said the investigation remains the best way to shine light on the complaints made to the ministry — complaints the college itself says it is unaware of.

“We were very surprised to learn that the minister had ordered an investigation of Dawson college,” reads a statement sent to CTV News.

‘Teachers...looking over their shoulders’

Some teachers say the rhetoric doesn’t match the reality.

“I think some of our students, some of our Jewish students are being told by people they trust that the students they’re meeting are dangerous and that we need to be afraid,” said Dawson humanities teacher Noah Brender. “And I don’t think that’s true and I think it really is a shame.”

Brender, who is Jewish, says college classrooms are where sensitive subjects should be tackled and teachers are the best equipped to guide those conversations.

“Teachers are sort of looking over their shoulders. We’re worried about students, you know, doxing us or recording us or reporting us to the ministry,” he said.

“It really undermines the whole learning environment that we’re trying so hard to create in the classroom.”

The investigation is supposed to last six months. The higher education minister will decide whether or not to release its findings.