A Canadian professor whose work focuses on gender studies and Indigenous literature has criticized Alberta Premier Danielle Smith online after the conservative leader unveiled plans to remove diversity considerations from public-sector hiring.
Smith said Tuesday that her government had introduced legislation “that would ensure hiring and promotion decisions in the public sector are based on merit, not DEI policies.”
“Mandatory workplace training will be relevant to the roles and responsibilities of the employee, instead of mandatory DEI sessions,” Smith wrote on X.
The Alberta premier, who heads Canada’s United Conservative Party, added: “Fairness means everyone competes on the same terms.”
Dr. June Scudeler, a professor at Simon Fraser University, shared Smith’s post and responded with a profane message.
“F*** off,” Scudeler wrote Tuesday evening.
Scudeler is an associate professor in Simon Fraser University’s department of Indigenous studies and holds a cross-appointment in the department of gender, sexuality and women’s studies, according to her university profile.
By Thursday, her post criticizing Smith had been viewed more than 123,000 times.
Simon Fraser University professor Dr. June Scudeler told Alberta Premier Danielle Smith to “f*** off” on Tuesday
Smith, who leads Canada’s United Conservative Party, was promoting legislation aimed at ending DEI practices in public-sector hiring and promotion decisions
Scudeler has not posted on her X account since directing the remark at Smith, and the premier did not respond to the message.
The professor has also made no public comment about the exchange on other social media platforms.
Her academic research examines queer Indigenous studies, along with literature, film and art.
She earned both her bachelor’s and master’s degrees at Simon Fraser University.
Scudeler later completed a PhD in English at the University of British Columbia.
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The legislation targeting diversity, equity and inclusion practices in public-sector hiring and promotion was introduced Tuesday, the same day Smith announced it on X.
The proposed rules would apply to municipalities, public agencies, Crown corporations, post-secondary institutions and school boards. The bill has not yet become law.
Scudeler is currently an associate professor in Simon Fraser’s department of Indigenous studies and holds a cross-appointment in the department of gender (Photo of the university)
Alberta Justice Minister Mickey Amery described the proposal as “the most equitable and fair way of engaging in hiring practices here in the province.”
Other local politicians and public figures, however, have spoken out against the conservative government’s plan.
Kathleen Ganley, who is part of the opposition New Democratic Party, said the bill was ‘a solution in want of a problem,’ according to Global News.
Ganley added that she had not heard of any concerns related to DEI hiring practices.
The president of the Alberta Union of Provincial Employees, Sandra Azocar, called the proposal ‘pure dog whistle politics.’
Azocar also accused Smith of trying to assuage the ‘extreme factions’ within her conservative party.
Albertans were the most likely Canadians to report hiring and workplace discrimination, according to a November 2024 poll from Pollara.
In the province, the University of Alberta approved a hiring policy that eliminated DEI this March.
If two candidates were equally qualified for a position, the university previously favored the one coming from a historically underrepresented group, per CBC.
‘We are a big and complex community, and it’s really important that we commit to being a community that is welcoming for all,’ University of Alberta president Bill Flanagan said.
The Daily Mail has reached out to Scudeler and Simon Fraser University for comment.