Quebec to investigate two colleges over safety complaints around Middle East conflict

The Quebec government is launching an investigation of two English-language junior colleges in Montreal over complaints that the conflict in the Middle East has created an unsafe climate on campus.

The move follows a pro-Palestinian student strike at several post-secondary institutions in Montreal last month, during which Dawson College cancelled classes and closed its campus in an effort to protect students' welfare.

Speaking to reporters in Quebec City on Tuesday, Higher Education Minister Pascale Déry said the government has received reports of students feeling intimidated at Dawson and Vanier colleges. In one case, she said, a math teacher "chose to invite his students to watch a documentary on Palestine rather than teach mathematics."

In a statement earlier in the day on social media, Déry said she's asked her department to investigate the governance at the colleges to see whether the school administrations have used all available tools to guarantee student safety.

"The climate on some campuses seems to have deteriorated in recent months," she said. "We know that the conflict in the Middle East generates its share of emotions, but institutions have an obligation to take all necessary measures to ensure a healthy and safe environment for all students." 

In a statement Tuesday, the Dawson Teachers' Union said the examples cited by Déry regarding teachers at the college are inaccurate. "Dawson teachers are doing their work effectively and in line with ministerial and departmental requirements; any suggestion otherwise is false and inappropriate," the union said.

Neil Oberman, a Montreal lawyer and federal Conservative candidate, said he submitted a complaint to the Higher Education Department in June calling for an investigation at Dawson College on behalf of a student.

"Since the month of October 2023, our client and many other students have been faced with numerous incidents of overtly antisemitic content, hate speech, harassment, and abuse on the Dawson campus," the complaint reads.

The document lists several examples, including an event during which a group of faculty calling themselves "Teachers for Palestine" allegedly circulated handouts promoting an arms embargo on Israel. "This behaviour is completely inappropriate coming from professors," the complaint says.

The complaint also claims the student was denied a position on the Dawson debate club because the student is a "Zionist." As well, Dawson's student newspaper, The Plant, has published antisemitic content and denies students "who do not share their views the opportunity to have their content published in the Plant," the document says.

Mirren Bodanis, editor-in-chief of the newspaper, denied publishing antisemitic content. "Every single time someone comes up to us … if they disagree with something, we always tell them, 'Either send us an email or send in your own contribution,'" said Bodanis, who uses they/them pronouns.

Bodanis said there are a lot of "pro-Palestinian Jewish students" at Dawson who have been "victims of aggression from Zionist students."

"Tensions are a little high, but it's an intense time," they said.

Oberman also pointed to a social media post published by the Muslim Student Association at Dawson ahead of a November pro-Palestinian student strike that saw protests at several Quebec colleges and universities. The post was addressed to students considering voting against the strike. "Know that your vote cannot alter the destiny that awaits the Zionist entity," it read. "Efforts to obstruct justice will be in vain. The liberation of all the Islamic homeland is inevitable."

The message was intended to "instil fear and aggression against other students," Oberman said. Dawson, he added, is a "hotbed of radical persons," and the province's investigation should hold the administration to account. "If there are administrators incapable, unwilling or unable to perform their duties, then perhaps they're in the wrong business," he said.

Abu Al-Azm, president of the Muslim Student Association, said the Instagram post was in response to a post from the college's Jewish Student Association, which encouraged students to vote against the strike. "Voting for this strike means showing solidarity for a terrorist organization!" it said.

"That's the only reason why (our post) appeared a bit more provocative," Al-Azm said in an interview. "However, we just wanted people to vote 'Yes.'" Both posts have since been modified or taken down.

Al-Azm said the majority of students at Dawson support the Palestinian cause, but that some female Muslim students have been "targeted by Zionist students for wearing the hijab." Still, he said tensions have cooled at the college since the week of the strike, and the government investigation is a disproportionate reaction.

Dawson College cancelled classes and closed its campus for one day during the student strike, a decision the administration said was taken to protect students' safety. Jewish organizations criticized the decision, saying the college was capitulating to extremist voices.

On Tuesday, the college administration said in a statement it is confident it has "acted appropriately throughout these challenging times."

Vanier College, meanwhile, said it was "surprised by the announcement, having not received any complaints internally that would warrant such an approach."

In a statement, the Centre for Israel and Jewish Affairs and Federation CJA said they were pleased to hear of the investigation, and they hope it will "shed light on the past 14 months' disturbing pattern of hate."

This report by The Canadian Press was first published Dec. 3, 2024.