U of W Responds to WJR’s article on the One-Sided ‘Palestine-Genocide’ Teach In but Fails to Respond to these Important Follow -Up Questions

Jul 23, 2025

Screenshot of Promo of 'Palestine-Genocide'event.

The Winnipeg Jewish Review wrote an article about the 'Palestine-Genocide' Teach in and Roundtable event on Nov 24, that was put on by U of W Professors, a one sided event that indicated Israel was a colonialist/apartheid/imperialist state, and not one speaker indicated Israel had a right to exist in the region. To read the complete article scroll down to the very bottom.

In the article the Winnipeg Jewish Review showed that a student who questioned Hamas's role in the conflict was told the question was racist and those who disagreed with the speakers and/or who asked questions did not have their questions answered or comments read out in the chat as they were told thery were "racist since they were from the Zionist perspective." Also, there were people who were kicked off the zoom event after trying to ask questions. The Winnipeg Jewish Review sent the article to U of W President Todd Mondor and received a reply from the office of the President on Dec 3, as folllows:

Thank you for contacting us. We appreciate that you have taken the time to reach out and share your thoughts and feelings with us. We hope the following clarifies why the University did not – and could not – seek to intervene:

Universities are important spaces of critical inquiry. Faculty members' right to express their personal views is written into their collective agreement. They do not require the University’s permission to express their views through publications, lectures, and events such as this one – hundreds of which are organized every year at UWinnipeg.

This particular event was organized independently by a group of UWinnipeg faculty members and included participants from other universities. It is similar to other events that have been organized by faculty members at universities around the world in recent weeks.

Several other UWinnipeg faculty members were involved in another event, Antisemitism in the Wake of 7/10: Critical Perspectives from Jewish Scholars, Community Leaders, and Activists, hosted by the Jewish Community on Campus (JCOC) and the Jewish Heritage Centre of Western Canada on November 23.

Neither event was a University of Winnipeg event and the views expressed are not the views of the University of Winnipeg. Our published statement provides more details on our values in relation to this issue.

Counsel to the University advised that none of the titles associated with either event violated UWinnipeg policies, the Human Rights Code, or other applicable legislation.

If anyone feels that a University policy, the Human Rights Code, or any laws were breached, they should connect with the appropriate authority:
- Concerns related to University policies may be directed to the University of Winnipeg Human Rights and Diversity Officer.
- Concerns related to the Human Rights Code may be directed to The Manitoba Human Rights Commission.
- Concerns related to the Criminal Code may be referred to the Winnipeg Police Service.

Thank you again for sharing your concerns regarding this important issue. We hope you will continue to share your perspective as our institution navigates these complex issues and considers the principles we are bound to uphold.

After receiving this response, The Winnipeg Jewish Review sent the following follow up questions to U of W President Mondor on Dec 12 but has not recieved a reply :

1. If this was not a U of W event as you claim, why was the Faculty of Arts at Uof W on the promotional material (which I took a screenshot of)

2. If this was not a U of W event, why is there reference to "assigned text" on the promo material (which I took a screenshot of).

3. If this was not a U of W event, how come Prof Leah Kuragano in the English department was allowed to cancel her class to attend the teach-in and round table… Students pay for Prof Kuragano to teach her classes, such that the Winnipeg Jewish Review would like an explanation as to why she was allowed to cancel her class to attend the "Palestine-Genocide" event, notwithstanding the event was being recorded and she could have seen the recording after the fact. Isn't the fact she was able to cancel her class in this matter proof that this was a University event, and also that students were being given the message that this event was important enough for their class to be cancelled, even if Prof Kuragano said her students did not have to attend or would not lose marks for attending. Please outline what the the rules U of W has for cancelling classes?

4. Why is the U of W going to passively wait to see if concerns are brought to the U of W Human Rights and Diversity Officer, as opposed to doing anything pro-active yourself based on the evidence in the article by the Winnipeg Jewish Review that questions posed by Jewish students and/or students who believe in Israel's right to exist were not answered, or referred to as "racist since they were from the Zionist perpective." You have access to the recording and can confim this was said. Also there is evidence before you in that Winnipeg Jewish Review's article that people were kicked off the zoom event. People whose questions were not answered or who were called racist or were kicked off the zoom already feel excluded and isolated and are naturally fearful of coming forward under the circumstances to complain to the U of W Human Rights and Diversity Officer, such that do you not see it incumbant upon yourself as a University to take the initiative to investigate what happened here even without a formal complaint.? By not taking the initiative to investigate this matter, how can you tell the Jewish community that you are taking this matter seriously?

5. You wrote: "Counsel to the University advised that none of the titles associated with either event violated UWinnipeg policies, the Human Rights Code, or other applicable legislation."(emphasis added) What has counsel to the University advised you about the actual manner in which the "Palestine-Genocide event" took place, regarding labelling those who disagreed with the view of the presenters, as being "racist," or in regard to kicking people who asked questions off the zoom? (Also, I note with interest that even though you claim this was not a University event, you sought legal advice as a University regarding the titles of the "Palestine-Genocide" event)

6. As a University President, do you not think it is incumbant upon you to issue a statement about what actually transpired at this event ?

The Winnipeg Jewish Review also asked these further questions on Dec 22 which have also not been answered.

1.Did the U of W Profs who ran the "Palestine-Genocide" event receive any funding for the event directly or indirectly from the University of Winnipeg? And if they did, would you not agree that this funding would demonstrate that the event was in reality a U of W sanctioned event?

2. Assuming that the U of W did in fact directly or indirectly fund this event, what was the amount of funding received?

3 In an article written Dec 5, 2023 in the Manitoban, three Uof W Profs (ALYSON BRICKEY, CHIGBO ARTHUR ANYADUBA, KERRY SINANAN ← Previous Next →