Episode 8: The Terrorization of Frances Widdowson by MRU’s Human Resources
On the morning of December 20, 2021, Frances Widdowson attended a virtual talk about maps and decolonization by a candidate being interviewed for a Canada Research Chair position in indigenous studies. A number of people at the talk asked questions, including the vice-provost and associate vice-president, academic, Mike Quinn. Widdowson also asked a question.
That same day, MRU President, Tim Rahilly, wrote a letter to Frances Widdowson terminating her employment and directing her to “provide…exams of your students from the Fall 2021 semester…by the end of the work day tomorrow, December 21, 2021” to the Office of the Dean of Arts.
Article 25.1.1. of the Collective Agreement for MRU faculty members states that “An Employee shall have the right to have a member of the Association Executive present at any meeting that the Employee believes might be the basis of discipline”.
In spite of President Rahilly’s directive that Widdowson hand in her exams the next day, and Article 25.1.1 of the Collective Agreement asserting that faculty members had a right to union representation when being disciplined, MRU administrators ambushed Frances Widdowson outside of her exam at 5:15 p.m. on December 20, 2021. She was lured into a classroom without union representation for a surprise disciplinary meeting. Dr. Widdowson demanded that the meeting be rescheduled so that proper procedures could be followed, but there was an attempt to stop her from leaving and to force her to accept a termination letter. According to Sara Gibson, a Human Resources Business Partner with MRU, Widdowson stated that “we can’t do this this way without representation”, and that an administrator stood between Widdowson and the door.
When she was able to leave B102 and run back to her office, she was followed by MRU administrators and two security guards (according to a person interviewed by the Calgary Police, “Amy” told people to go there). An administrator demanded that she turn over her exams immediately. While in her office, Widdowson ended up calling the police because she felt threatened and intimidated, and thought that she would be prevented from leaving and her exams forcibly taken from her.
A search of the word “Amy” in the MRU Directory brings up one senior administrator with a high level of authority.
Widdowson then hurried out into the parking lot and locked herself in her car. She called the union and waited for the police to arrive. She told two police officers that she had been ambushed and lured into a classroom, and then an MRU administrator had blocked the door and tried to stop her from leaving.
Frances Widdowson provided her account of the incident to MRFA representatives the next morning, on December 21, 2021.
MRU sent the December 20, 2021 termination letter from President Tim Rahilly with another letter by courier on December 21, 2021. The December 21 unsigned letter stated that “We [MRU] attempted to provide you with this notification” but “you [Widdowson] proceeded to push Dr. Michael Quinn out of your path and fled towards the exit, refusing to engage”.
