By Lara Fominoff @LaraFominoff on Twitter

University of Lethbridge confirms retirement of controversial professor Anthony Hall

Aug 8, 2018 | 2:35 PM

LETHBRIDGE – In a brief statement, the University of Lethbridge has confirmed that Dr. Anthony Hall will be retiring from the U of L in the fall and will not be teaching any classes during the 2018 academic semester.

The statement comes after B’nai Brith Canada complained to the University, after it says Hall was listed as teaching courses on the university website this fall.

Hall was suspended without pay in October 2016, following comments he made in online articles and videos suggesting there Israeli and U.S. Jews staged the 9/11 attacks and that the events of the Holocaust should be up for debate.

At the time, the university said its board of governors reviewed whether a complaint was warranted and justifiable.

“From the findings of that assessment, the board has decided to proceed with a complaint to the Alberta Human Rights Commission against Dr. Hall for publishing statements, alone and in collaboration with others, that could be considered hateful, contemptuous and discriminatory,” it said in a statement.

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Separately, the U of L was also reviewing complaints made against Hall by members of the university community. There is no word on the outcome of those complaints. According to the statement issued Wednesday (Aug. 8), “as this is a human resources matter, no additional comments will be made.”

Hall, a tenured professor who taught Native American Studies, Liberal Education and Globalization for more than two decades, had his pay reinstated in October 2017 following an agreement between the University and the Faculty Association.

However, pending the outcome of the Human Right’s Commission investigation, he was not to teach or supervise students, conduct research in the name of the university, use his affiliation with the university or set foot on campus.

According to B’nai Brith Canada, in late July, the organization discovered the Hall was scheduled to teach two courses on the U of L’s website including “Capital, Culture and Globalization,” and “Globalization and Education,” despite assurances from University officials that he would remain barred from the classroom.

B’nai Brith now says the courses have been removed. 

Spokesperson Marty York tells LNN that they’re hoping in the future, neither the University, nor the Government of Alberta will expose students to anti-Jewish propaganda.

“We hope that we aren’t going to see any professor teaching this type of hatred again. Not only in Alberta of course, but throughout Canada. We’re praying that we don’t see this, that we don’t have to deal with this again.”

As for whether the timing between the complaint and Hall’s retirement? York says he’s not sure what exactly happened.

“It certainly wouldn’t surprise us here at B’nai Brith Canada if our information and our complaints have had something to do with a retirement.”