Laval University professor Patrick Provost, who has been suspended twice for making controversial comments about anti-COVID vaccines, has received a third sanction.
• Also read: Professor Patrick Provost has been suspended from Laval University for a second time
• Also read: Another complaint against Professor Patrick Provost is dismissed by Laval University
Photo from the CHU de Québec website
Patrick Propst
Professor at Laval University
He is suspended for a day without pay after an email was sent to 100 establishment leaders revealing the identity of a person who had lodged a complaint against him.
In March 2022, management sent Mr. Provost a letter asking him to stop sending bulk emails without prior approval from the university.
Last November, the establishment ruled that the professor had violated that policy by sending an unsolicited message to more than 90 establishment leaders. The email contained several documents, including the name of a person who had filed a complaint against him.
In late February, the university informed Mr. Provost that he would again be suspended without pay, this time for a single day, May 24.
Mr Provost disputes management’s interpretation, stating that the email sent did not constitute a bulk mailing or public disclosure of the complainant’s identity, as its recipients were “implicitly bound by confidentiality” by virtue of their role.
The latter sees it more as the relentlessness of management, which has twice suspended him for a total of six months without pay for controversial statements about anti-COVID vaccines. Both of these suspensions are being challenged through a complaint by the Laval University Union of Professors.
The Université Laval, asked to respond, reminds us that it cannot comment on an employee’s personal file.
Complaints are handled in accordance with the standards and policies in place at the facility, spokeswoman Andrée-Anne Stewart said.
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