Hopefully by now you’ve had a chance to read our press release and statementon the proposed Trinity Western University law school.
The position statement is to be ratified at the next Board meeting – next week – so exact wording may change, but there’s a consensus among the Board that we should be taking a stand on this issue.
I also wanted to share the letter I just sent to the Federation of Law Societies of Canada and the Degree Quality Assessment Board of the Government of BC. I encourage you to write to these organizations as well, using your own or a similar letter.
To:
Federation of Law Societies of Canada Special Advisory Committee on TWU’s Proposed School of Law – [email protected]
Degree Quality Assessment Board, Government of British Columbia – [email protected]
Amrik Virk, Minister of Advanced Education, Government of British Columbia – [email protected]
David Eby, Opposition Critic for Advanced Education –[email protected]
Because of its discriminatory admittance and hiring policies, the BC Humanist Association calls for the proposed School of Law at Trinity Western University to be rejected.
TWU’s policies violate the fundamental notion of equality. Approving their law school would create an extra path to becoming a lawyer in Canada that is not available to students who do not fit with TWU’s vision of heterosexual Christians.
It is well documented that TWU’s Community Covenant discriminates against gay and lesbian students. The Covenant also requires that students adopt an anti-choice stance (students must “uphold…worth from conception”) contrary to Canada’s ongoing commitment to women’s reproductive freedoms. Furthermore, the mandatory Statement of Faith for faculty and staff discriminates against the non-religious and others who are not Christian. These restrictions threaten academic freedom at TWU.
Our Board of Directors, in solidarity with numerous other organizations, have taken a strong stance against this proposal and urge the FLSC and Government of British Columbia to stand up for prospective LGBT and non-Christian lawyers by rejecting this discriminatory law school.
Sincerely,
Ian Bushfield
Executive Director