Government of Québec Higher Education Minister Pascale Déry has been accused by multiple members of the province’s postsecondary community of political interference at Dawson College. La Presse reports that Déry intervened directly in the content of a course on Palestine at Dawson, therefore infringing on the college’s academic freedom. The Fédération nationale des enseignantes et des enseignants du Québec and the Fédération québécoise des professeures et professeures d’université have both denounced Déry’s actions and called for accountability measures. The Dawson Teachers’ Union added that the investigation into the on-campus climate at Dawson—launched by Déry in December—has created a “climate of fear” at the institution; teachers feel they are being intimidated into avoiding course material that is critical of Israel.
