McGill professor calls university dishonest after removal from discipline committee for pro-Hamas comments

McGill University in Montreal is seen on Friday, Oct. 13, 2023. (Ryan Remiorz/The Canadian Press)

A McGill professor says the university caved to organizations and media outlets’ pressure.

Professor William Clare Roberts was removed from McGill’s student discipline committee (CSD) after comments he made on social media suggesting Canada “militarily and financially” support Hamas and Hezbollah in their conflict with Israel.

McGill’s Standing Nominating Committee recommended replacing Roberts as a member and vice-chair of the committee on student discipline immediately, citing a “potential for bias” as a rationale for his being replaced.

“While no wrongdoing is alleged, the committee concluded that his publicly expressed personal views may reasonably be perceived, by an objective third party, as compromising his ability to exercise impartial judgment in disciplinary matters. This constitutes a conflict of interest,” noted the report, which was published on McGill’s site.

Roberts said the accusation of bias is “beneath my contempt.”

“The fact that the Senate Nominating Committee both allowed this accusation to cow it into removing me from my position and lacked the courage to name the accusation itself is an insult to my intelligence and my honour that I will not easily forget or lightly forgive,” he wrote in a response to the report.

Roberts said he voluntarily declared his beliefs and support of the pro-Palestinian cause, as other professors did, and “noted that they may create the perception of unfairness.”

“I used to think BDS (boycott, divest, sanction) was a good idea,” the professor wrote on X. “I’ve come around, though: nothing short of ‘full economic and military support for Hamas and Hezbollah’ is appropriate.”

The nominating committee said it held a special meeting to discuss Roberts’ membership after the comments and subsequent media attention.

In his response, Roberts says that the CSD has always taken care “to declare and weed out conflicts of interest” and that his public support for the Palestinian cause has nothing to do with “cases of academic dishonesty, conflicts in residences, or the many other issues that bring students before the CSD.”

“We all know that the accusation of bias that has been leveled against me, is not that I might be biased in favour of pro-Palestine protesters – for which it would make no sense to dismiss me – but that I might be biased against Jewish students,” he wrote. “What does my position on how most effectively to end the genocide in Gaza have to do with Jewish students at McGill?”

McGill said Roberts’s services on the student discipline committee have “concluded.”

“Academic freedom is central to McGill’s mission,” the university said in a statement to CTV News. “Faculty members also have responsibilities under University policies, the positions they hold at McGill, and, more broadly, the law. This decision was made by applying McGill’s policies and standards through established procedures.”

The committee said that if a conflict of interest is not addressed, “it could erode public confidence in the fairness and integrity of the disciplinary processes entrusted to the Committee on Student Discipline.”

“What this means to any layperson is this: my continued service as Vice-Chair could erode the confidence of the CIJA (Centre for Jewish and Israel Affairs), Anthony Housefather, MP, and other loudmouthed bullies,” Roberts responded. “These artificially amplified voices – not “the public” – are the ones the committee seeks to reassure...

“But a morsel will only whet their appetite for a larger feast. They will be emboldened, and become more demanding.”

The CIJA and the Mont Royal MP responded to Roberts’ comments in the media.

Roberts is on sabbatical until Sept. 2026, when his term on the CSD was set to end.

He told CTV News that colleagues at McGill have reached out to him on how they can support him. He added that he is exploring the possibility of filing a complaint with McGill’s subcommittee on academic freedom.

The CIJA called the decision to remove him from his post “another important step in ensuring that the campus community feels safe.”

“For a faculty member in this position of responsibility to publicly advocate ‘full economic and military support’ for Canadian-listed terrorist entities is not only irresponsible but profoundly dangerous,” CIJA wrote, adding that his suggestion to support Hamas and Hezbollah “crosses a clear line into incitement and endorsement of violence that goes far beyond what could be considered acceptable speech.”

“[It} contributes to an already hostile environment for Jewish and Israeli students at McGill. Further action must be taken by the administration to ensure that he is held accountable for his actions,” CIJA said.

Roberts said he has served the McGill community on the CSD “honourably and with dedication” for several years, and has shown himself “to be scrupulous, judicious, and knowledgeable in my participation in hearings as a member.”

He accused the committee of dishonesty and said it did not give him an opportunity to sway its decision.

“You are behaving in a cowardly manner, and this decision demeans your responsibility to this institution and its student body,” he writes in conclusion.