Professor Patrick Provost, who was suspended for controversial remarks about anti-COVID vaccineswas fired by Laval University.
The union which represents the establishment’s teachers (SPUL) filed a grievance to contest this decision, indicated its president, Marie-Hélène Parizeau.
At Laval University, they simply indicated that Mr. Provost is no longer employed by the establishment. “The content of an employee’s personal file is confidential,” specifies its spokesperson, Andrée-Anne Stewart.
Controversial remarks
This dismissal occurs while Mr. Provost is contesting suspensions previously received before a grievance arbitrator. The next hearing is scheduled for Monday.
In recent years, this professor of the department of microbiology-infectiology and immunology was suspended three times by his employer, notably in connection with controversial comments concerning messenger RNA vaccines.
Mr. Provost had publicly opposed the vaccination of children against COVID, which goes against the scientific consensus on the issue.
The disciplinary committee of Laval University concluded that the professor had not respected the rules provided for in the policy on responsible conduct in research, since he had not taken into account all the available information concerning vaccines against the COVID-19.
Mr. Provost had repeatedly denounced the “censorship” of which he claimed to be a victim, affirming that these sanctions violated his academic freedom. The SPUL supports Mr. Provost in his efforts.
These sanctions were imposed as Laval University adopted a new policy on academic freedom last year, following the adoption of Quebec’s Academic Freedom Act.
