As has become clear from the response of Mr. Hannon's colleagues and students, he is an excellent teacher who brings to the classroom precisely that free and provocative exchange of ideas between adults which is so central to a university education.
Vice-President Dewson's preliminary investigation of Mr. Hannon's views is a violation of his academic freedom. From your public statements, it would appear that you have subsequently justified your suspension of Mr. Hannon, not on the basis of his views, but of an investigation of his behaviour, - that is, his public admission that he engages in prostitution in his private life. Mr. Hannon's private behaviour is no business of Ryerson Polytechnic University.
While it is unfortunate for him, that he was driven by persistent media harrassment to reveal it, Ryerson would surely prefer that he chose to take the route of honesty under the circumstances, rather than dishonest concealment.
Mr. Hannon has committed no illegal act and his private behaviour has no bearing on the reputation of Ryerson Polytechnic University. There has been no evidence that his personal activities, in any way, detracted from his performance and commitment as a teacher. It is his performance as a teacher which can be the only matter of concern to his employer.
As the national association of some 30,000 academic staff in Canada, CAUT has pioneered policies which have established the professional standards in matters such as academic freedom and professional rights, responsibilities and relationships.
By its suspension of Mr. Hannon on the basis of a sustained witchhunt by a Toronto tabloid newspaper, the administration of Ryerson has threatened the academic freedom of all faculty members at Ryerson and sets the precedent that a university may arrogate to itself the right to investigate and set the stardards for their private lives.
In responding in such a hasty and ill-considered way to a piece of questionable journalism, Ryerson appears to be returning to the kind of Victorian administrative attitutes which have no place in a late twentieth century university.