Free Speech on Campus and the Case of Jonathan Bradley
Commentary
The case of Ryerson University student Jonathan Bradley is yet another example of the erosion of academic freedom and free speech at universities.
A fourth-year journalism student and a strict Catholic, Bradley has filed a discrimination complaint with the Human Rights Tribunal of Ontario (HRTO), claiming to have been fired from the Eyeopener, a Ryerson student newspaper, for reasons related to his religious views.
The trouble began in March 2020, when Bradley wrote an commentary for The Post Millennial criticizing equity, diversity, and inclusion offices at Canadian universities. He wrote that these offices “make students think that there is one acceptable opinion on issues. They discourage students from formulating their own ideas.” He gave examples of social justice events organized by these offices at which he said this occurred, noting that “these offices brainwash students” and pointing to certain e