Jordan Peterson, author of “12 Rules for Life: An Antidote to Chaos”. (Courtesy of Jordan Peterson)
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International bestselling author and psychologist Jordan Peterson alleges Ontario’s psychologist regulatory body has missed its own deadline and is stalling proceedings in its case against him.
The University of Toronto professor emeritus took to Twitter on March 2, saying that the College of Psychologists of Ontario has “already exceeded their own deadline with respect to this matter.”
“I have a right even under their terms of organization to have my case dealt with in a timely manner,” he wrote.
“Despite repeated attempts on the part of my lawyers to proceed, they are delaying. The reason for this, plain and simple, is that they hope people will forget and they can proceed invisibly.”
Peterson’s legal team wrote the college on Feb 15 “insisting that they continue with the disciplinary process they initiated, if they’re not withdrawing the complaints.”
The psychologist broke the news on the college’s case against him in a Jan. 3 Twitter post, saying: “BREAKING: The Ontario College of Psychologists has demanded that I submit myself to mandatory social-media communication retraining with their experts for, among other crimes, retweeting [Conservative Leader] Pierre Poilieve and criticizing [Prime Minister] Justine Trudeau and his political allies.”
He added that “I am to take a course of such training (with reports documenting my ‘progress’ or face an in-person tribunal and suspension of my right to operate as a licensed clinical psychologist.”
Peterson also tweeted that he was mounting a constitutional challenge in court, and the next day announced he had filed an application with the Ontario Divisional Court for judicial review of the college’s request that he take the disciplinary training.
The college did not reply to a request from The Epoch Times for comment as of publication, and has reportedly rejected requests from other media as well, citing confidentiality.
In a website statement, the college said: “In a decision released on November 22, 2022, the Inquiries, Complaints and Reports Committee decided to require Dr. Jordan Peterson to successfully complete a prescribed Specified Continuing Education or Remedial Program (SCERP). The substance of the SCERP is a Coaching Program to address issues regarding professionalism in public statements.”
On Jan. 4, Peterson released a document on Twitter detailing the college’s demands concerning his “re-education,” as well as said in a commentary in the National Post that he would not be complying.
In the commentary, he noted he was asked to do the training “at my own expense (some hundreds of dollars per hour) and for a length of time that is to be determined only by those retraining me and profiting from doing so,” adding that his critics have “learned to weaponize” the CPO’s disciplinary process for “reasons both political and personal,”
Poilievre wrote in a tweet on March 3 that the regulatory body “must stop trying to censor Dr. Peterson and start honouring free speech.”
“If they don’t like his ideas, they should try debating him. Good luck with that,” he posted.
Social Media Posts
According to Peterson in a Jan. 3 tweet, “About a dozen people from all over the world submitted complaints about my public statements on Twitter and Rogan over a four year period (out of the 15 million who follow me on social media) claiming that I had ‘harmed’ people (not them) with my views.”
Details of his communications with the college, which he posted on Jan. 4, show that the complaints focus on several of his tweets and on his interview with the podcast “The Joe Rogan Experience,” on topics such as COVID-19 vaccines and restrictions, the Freedom Convoy protest, the world population, and transgender surgery.
“We are now in a situation in Canada under Justin Trudeau where practicing professionals can have their livelihoods and public reputations threatened in a very serious manner for agreeing with the Official Opposition and criticizing major government figures,” Peterson said.
According to Peterson, who did not return calls for comment before press time, none of the complaints are from former or present patients, and none were even acquainted with any of his clients.
The college is considering the complaints under the professional code alleging issues with “disgraceful, dishonourable, or unprofessional conduct,” and “provision of information to the public.”
The college regulations state that information must be “accurate and supportable based on current professional literature or research” and “consistent with the professional standards, policies, and ethics currently adopted by the College.”
Tara MacIsaac and Peter Wilson contributed to this report.