Ottawa U Plays Dirty to Stop Cinema Politica

Jesse Freeston, 16.07.2008 00:59

In the school year of 2007-08 the University of Ottawa refused to fund sign language interpretation at the popular on-campus Cinema Politica. That move gave rise to a still unresolved Ontario Human Rights Comission complaint. That event raised its ugly head again this week when the University administration used its own violation as justification for denying CP a place on campus.

How low will Harrod and Ottawa U go? The floor's the limit!

This morning OttawaU Physics and Environmental Science Professor Denis Rancourt received a letter from his employer regarding the future of the Cinema Politica documentary series. Since its inception in September 2005, Ottawa's chapter of Cinema Politica has become a campus institution, enjoying great popularity amongst both students and community members. Large numbers have attended regularly with the certainty that every Friday night during the school year they would be treated to a thought-provoking documentary and an open space to comment and debate as they see fit afterwards. Dr. Rancourt had input in the film selection and made his own opinions clear on a regular basis but never imposed his will on attendees, creating a truly democratic space for ideas to be debated freely. For these reasons, attendees believe, this unique campus experience has been consistently targeted for elimination by an administration that has demonstrated a clear and aggressive aversion to all things new and/or democratic.

One of the tactics the administration used to attempt to undermine the success of the project during the 2007-08 season was revoking funding for the provision of sign-language interpretation that was being provided to community member Genevieve Deguire (see article: "U of O Refuses Sign-language Interpretation to Community Group" at  http://www.thefulcrum.ca/node/913) which resulted in Deguire filing an official complaint to the Ontario Human Rights Commission, which to this day has not been resolved. The historical record clearly shows that the University was the party which refused to provide interpretation services, citing financial constraints as their justification. An argument which could at best be labeled as unacceptable when emanating from a public institution which turned a $67 million surplus in the preceding fiscal year. It is only with knowledge of this recent history that today's news becomes so shocking. University Secretary Pamela A. Harrod, writing on behalf of the University as a whole, informed Dr. Rancourt that Cinema Politica will not be allocated a room for the 2008-09 season. The reason? In the words of Mrs. Harrod:

"...the University of Ottawa is unable to grant such a request [for a room] since, by failing to provide interpretative services at its events as required by the Ontario Human Rights Code, Cinema Politica did not respect all applicable statutes, regulations and University of Ottawa policies in its use of the University's facilities in 2007-2008."

To recap, the school refused to fund an interpreter, neglecting its legal obligation to do so. Then, upper administration announced that Cinema Politica will be shut down as a result of human rights violations resulting from the university administration's earlier avoidance of responsibility. Potentially more vexing than the denial of justice inherent in this newest decision, or the second-rate supervillain behaviour that the upper administration has demonstrated throughout this battle, is the fact that the university has effectively turned Deguire, the victim, into a means for their conspiratorial and political ends. Denying Deguire's basic human right to equal access and then employing their own violation as justification for denying access to the entire community is an approach which can only serve to underline the university's tendency to deny dignity to members of its community.

Of special note is that Harrod signed the letter July 14, 2008. A date of particular significance because it marks the last day of the accountability vacuum which has formed between ex-President Gilles Patry's June 30th exit and the July 15th entrance of the Alan Rock era. Students and community members alike will be extremely eager to see whether or not the arrival of Rock will mark any significant change in the behaviour of the institution. If a change is in the cards, a reasonable start would be a demand for Harrod's immediate apology to Genevieve Deguire, Cinema Politica attendees and the entirety of the university community for this most recent and most heinous abuse of power.


The entirety of Pamela A. Harrod's letter can be found at  http://www.archive.org/details/HarrodLetterReCinemaPolitica

e-mail:: jfreeston@gmail.com
Homepage:: http://www.archive.org/details/HarrodLetterReCinemaPolitica

Download this article in pdf format >>

Add this article to your pdf newsletter selection >>

Checkout and Download your PDF-newsletter selection >>

Email this article to someone >>

Make a quick comment on this article >>

playing with fire 16.07.2008 - 22:48 Genevieve and supporters should go to every campus event and ask for sign language accommodation and cite these same human rights violations. On these grounds, every event in the university could be shutdown until this is rectified. The administration is backing themselves into a real ignorant little corner. This is discrimination, censorship and politically motivated. A real blight on what is supposed to be a public, free thinking institution. mycle> Homepage:: http://