CAUT has established an ad hoc investigatory committee to examine King’s University College’s treatment of recently retired sessional faculty member Ken Luckhardt who was permanently banned from campus following his criticism of colleagues, who then filed a complaint against him.

Before teaching at King’s in its social justice and peace studies program, Luckhardt worked with the Canadian Auto Workers, most recently at CAW’s international department where its Social Justice Fund is housed. A political anthropologist, Luckhardt has also taught at the University of Alberta and at Ryerson University.

The members of the CAUT investiga­tory committee are Albert Katz, chair of the psychology department at Western University, and Jonathan Haxell, an archaeology and classical studies professor at Wilfrid Laurier University.

In a letter to King’s principal David Sylvester, CAUT executive director James Turk advised the
committee’s terms of reference were to investigate the administration’s handling of Luckhardt’s criticisms of departmental colleagues and the complaint filed against him; to determine whether the actions taken by the administration in relation to Luckhardt were appropriate and whether they violated his academic freedom; and to make any appropriate recommendations.

The inquiry report will be submitted to CAUT’s academic freedom and tenure committee in the coming months.