UNB prof under fire for immigration views to retire, school says

Jun 4, 2019 | 1:14 PM

FREDERICTON — A University of New Brunswick professor denounced by colleagues for promoting what they say are racist arguments about immigration has agreed to retire.

The school announced today that Ricardo Duchesne has provided his notice of early retirement to focus on his own pursuits as an independent scholar.

Duchesne has been a professor in the department of social science at the university’s Saint John campus since 1995.

Last week, more than 100 faculty members signed a letter denouncing him for arguments about multiculturalism and immigration that they labelled “racist and without academic merit.”

Petra Hauf, vice-president of UNB’s Saint John campus, said in a notice on the university’s web site that the school accepts Duchesne’s decision, thanking him for 24 years of service.

In the face of criticism from colleagues and the Canadian Historical Association, Duchesne said last week he had no intention of resigning.

The Canadian Press