Administrators at the University of Saskatchewan fired a high profile professor who dared to criticize university leadership.
Professor Robert Buckingham, who is also dean of the School of Public Health, was fired and escorted away from campus by police. Administrators were perfectly clear with him: They didn’t like being criticized. A letter from Provost Brett Fairbarin explained that Buckingham had damaged the reputation of the university by publicly disagreeing with its administrative decision to merge the School of Public Health under the College of Medicine, according to CBC News:
You have demonstrated egregious conduct and insubordination and have destroyed your relationship with the senior leadership team of the University.
Fairbarin described this insubordination as a breach of conduct and enough to merit Buckingham’s removal. (RELATED: Student forced to apologize for emailing pic of Obama kicking a door, because RACISM)
Buckingham had previously been told in no uncertain terms that he was expected to support the merge plan, titled TransformUs.
“I certainly felt stifled and muzzled,” he said in a statement. “I think there are probably other deans at this university who are feeling muzzled also, afraid to speak out.”