Toronto Metropolitan University creates 'campus expression, antisemitism, community safety' task force after receiving external report it commissioned

Toronto Metropolitan University, a public school, said that it is creating a President’s Implementation Task Force on Campus Expression, Antisemitism and Community Safety after receiving the final report, which it commissioned, from retired Ontario justice Mary Lou Benotto.

The school said that Bob Rae, a former Canadian politician and diplomat, will led the task force that will “carefully consider and respond to every recommendation in Justice Benotto’s report and provide an implementation blueprint to the university by March 2027.”

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“I accepted the role of chair for this implementation task force, because issues like improving campus life, earning student trust and freedom of expression are important to address at Canadian post-secondary institutions,” stated Rae, who has Jewish ancestry. “These institutions depend on our collective ability to listen to different perspectives and translate meaningful conversations into action, and in a larger sense, how to work and live together as Canadians despite our differences is important to all of us.”

The 190-page review, parts of which are redacted, states that it was commissioned in response to two 2025 incidents, which involved arrests of students at the university affiliated with Students for Justice in Palestine, but “quickly revealed a broader institutional issue: a deeply polarized campus environment shaped by the aftermath of Oct. 7, 2023, and the ongoing Israeli-Palestinian conflict.”

“The review concludes that the two incidents under review were symptoms of a deteriorating campus climate that, absent decisive institutional action, are likely to recur,” it states.

“Jewish students, faculty and staff described hostility toward Jewish identity and Zionism that crossed into intimidation, dehumanization and antisemitism,” the review states. “Pro-Palestinian community members described grief and trauma and expressed concern that advocacy relating to Gaza and Palestinian rights was increasingly viewed through a security and disciplinary lens.”

It recommends that the university revise its free speech statement to “expressly prohibit intimidation, harassment, discrimination and conduct that interferes with the expressive rights of others.”

It also says that the school should adopt “clear, content-neutral expectations governing protest, disruption, demonstrations, event safety, identification requirements and participation in lawful University activities” and that it ought to enforce its “student code of non-academic conduct” consistently.

The university also should “recognize that discrimination against Jews manifests through opposition to Zionism and, therefore, TMU should adopt the International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance working definition of antisemitism as an educational and policy framework, while affirming that criticism of Israeli government policy remains protected expression,” the review states.

“When anti-Zionism denies the Jewish people the right of self-determination that is recognized for other peoples, it ceases to be merely a political stance and becomes discriminatory,” according to the review. “Many Jewish participants described Zionism as an expression of Jewish identity, collective safety, historical continuity and the right of Jewish self-determination.”

“Several indicated that criticism of Zionism was frequently experienced as criticism of Jewish identity itself, particularly where ‘Zionist’ appeared to be used as a proxy for ‘Jewish’ or where anti-Zionist rhetoric was perceived as questioning the legitimacy of Jewish presence, belonging or safety,” it said.

The review also says that the school should improve its regulation of online hate, make its complaint process clearer and easier and require “ongoing education concerning respectful dialogue, freedom of expression, discrimination and harassment, conflict resolution and the rights and responsibilities of members of the university community.”

Hillel Ontario, the UJA Federation of Greater Toronto and the Centre for Israel and Jewish Affairs, the advocacy arm of the Jewish Federations of Canada-UIA, stated that their submissions to the review documented “a sustained pattern of threatening incidents and a ‘culture of impunity.’”

“No student should ever be discriminated against for who they are,” the groups said.

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