York dean has ‘regret,’ but defends religious-accommodation choice – The Globe and Mail
2014/01/14 3 Comments
As noted in an earlier post, Andrew Coyne has it right (York accommodation and Quebec values charter aren’t opposites, in fact they are the same); the problem is not the policies, laws and regulations, it is the absence of good judgement in its application:
In an interview, York provost Rhonda Lenton said if the student had made the same request for an in-class course, rather than one offered online, “I think that would be highly unlikely that the university would agree to grant such accommodation.”
After consulting York’s legal counsel and human-rights officials concerning the Ontario Human Rights Code, however, Dr. Singer also concluded that granting the accommodation “would have no substantial impact on the experience of other students.” And he suggests “the student would presumably not have enrolled” had the course not been advertised as exclusively online, even though Dr. Grayson says he knows the student has taken in-person courses at York.
“I wish I had had another choice, but neither I, nor those who advised me, believe that I did,” Dr. Singer’s letter concludes.
York dean has ‘regret,’ but defends religious-accommodation choice – The Globe and Mail.
About Andrew
Multicultural Meanderings 
You are right that Coyne is right; earlier the Globe and Mail produced an incredibly wishy-washy garbled editorial almost sort of vaguely on the one hand on the other semi-justifying the Dean’s decision to accommodate – while not really wanting to of course – the chap who wants no truck with – oh, horror – women.
My reaction was this:
“Preface: in religion everybody is free to invent his – or her – own mumbo jumbo. God usually doesn’t come down to correct the copy. My religion is: I don’t want to work with women; other crazy guys also don’t want to work with women; therefore groups form, in one context, then in another, where guys – because of their ‘religion’ don’t have to work with women. Segregation by sex creeps along. The decision by York was violation of everybody’s right – and duty – to work together. No amount of G&M waffle will disguise that fact.”
And, obviously, my ‘religion’ also dictates that I not soil my soul by suffering any encounter with Frenchmen, Blacks, Jews, Baptists, Dwarfs, Natives, Pagans, Agnostics, Catholics, Gays, Lesbians, Guys, Girls, White People, Scottish people, Italians, etc., etc.
Agree on G&M waffle. Almost as bad as York U admin.
Yes, and that takes doing!