Fringe and unacceptable professor

A paradox by Jesse D. Billett - 5 February 2022. Originally published at liturgyscholar.ca.

For the record:

I am a member of Canadian Academics for Covid Ethics.

I am one of the original signatories of the Greater Toronto Declaration. (The petition was recently taken down, without explanation, by Change.org.)

I oppose the cruel and irrational COVID-19 policies of the Province of Ontario, and still more those that have been adopted by the University of Toronto, under which my students are being expelled and my colleagues are being fired.

The university’s policy can be summarized as follows:

• Students and faculty who haven’t submitted proof of vaccination, even if they’re willing to stay away from campus, aren’t eligible for any accommodation to study or work remotely, because their classes or job responsibilities might require them to come to campus.

• Students and faculty who have submitted proof of vaccination, but are still scared to come to campus, are eligible to receive accommodations to study or work remotely, so that their classes or job responsibilities won’t require them to come to campus.

The government’s position is bad enough:

“You aren’t allowed to come to campus unless you submit proof of vaccination.”

The university’s position is surreal:

“You aren’t even allowed to STAY AWAY FROM CAMPUS unless you submit proof of vaccination.“

This is really happening. At Canada’s Top University™️.

(Since you’re probably wondering, Yes, I’m “fully vaccinated.” But that’s actually none of your business.)

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Dr. Jesse D. Billett is an Associate Professor (Liturgy and Ecclesiastical History) in the Faculty of Divinity at Trinity College in the University of Toronto. This text, which represents the views of the author only, not those of Trinity College, originally appeared on Dr. Billett’s blog and is re-posted with permission.