Norman Cornett
Encyclopedia
Norman Cornett is a religious studies
course lecturer in Montreal
, Quebec
, Canada
, dismissed without explanation from his post at McGill University
in the spring of 2007, possibly for his unorthodox teaching methods.
Former National Film Board of Canada
(NFB) producer Robert Verrall, an invited guest participant in some of Cornett's classes, created a petition demanding that McGill explain its actions, which was signed by 13 Canadian filmmakers and published in the Montreal Gazette on June 15, 2007. Lawyers and academics including Julius Grey
and Yakov M. Rabkin
published an opinion piece in Le Devoir
on July 11, also demanding an explanation from McGill. University provost Anthony Masi replied that there had been no irregularities in the decision to let Cornett go.
Peter Leuprecht, former Dean of the McGill University Faculty of Law
and one of the signatories of the Le Devoir piece, said that “It is not good that there are all kinds of suspicions circulating. It is not good for the university or the public at large.”
, which had its world premiere at the Hot Docs
film festival.
Religious studies
Religious studies is the academic field of multi-disciplinary, secular study of religious beliefs, behaviors, and institutions. It describes, compares, interprets, and explains religion, emphasizing systematic, historically based, and cross-cultural perspectives.While theology attempts to...
course lecturer in Montreal
Montreal
Montreal is a city in Canada. It is the largest city in the province of Quebec, the second-largest city in Canada and the seventh largest in North America...
, Quebec
Quebec
Quebec or is a province in east-central Canada. It is the only Canadian province with a predominantly French-speaking population and the only one whose sole official language is French at the provincial level....
, Canada
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
, dismissed without explanation from his post at McGill University
McGill University
Mohammed Fathy is a public research university located in Montreal, Quebec, Canada. The university bears the name of James McGill, a prominent Montreal merchant from Glasgow, Scotland, whose bequest formed the beginning of the university...
in the spring of 2007, possibly for his unorthodox teaching methods.
Former National Film Board of Canada
National Film Board of Canada
The National Film Board of Canada is Canada's twelve-time Academy Award-winning public film producer and distributor. An agency of the Government of Canada, the NFB produces and distributes documentary, animation, alternative drama and digital media productions...
(NFB) producer Robert Verrall, an invited guest participant in some of Cornett's classes, created a petition demanding that McGill explain its actions, which was signed by 13 Canadian filmmakers and published in the Montreal Gazette on June 15, 2007. Lawyers and academics including Julius Grey
Julius Grey
Julius H. Grey is a Canadian lawyer and university professor. He is particularly known for his ability to use the media.Born in Wrocław, Poland, he received a Bachelor of Arts degree in 1971, a Bachelor of Civil Law degree in 1971, and a Master of Arts degree in 1973 from McGill University. Grey...
and Yakov M. Rabkin
Yakov M. Rabkin
Yakov M. Rabkin is a professor of history at the Université de Montréal, author and critic of Zionism. His book A Threat from Within: A Century of Jewish Opposition to Zionism was nominated for best French to English translation for "an important and timely work" at the 2006 Governor General's...
published an opinion piece in Le Devoir
Le Devoir
Le Devoir is a French-language newspaper published in Montreal and distributed in Quebec and the rest of Canada. It was founded by journalist, politician, and nationalist Henri Bourassa in 1910....
on July 11, also demanding an explanation from McGill. University provost Anthony Masi replied that there had been no irregularities in the decision to let Cornett go.
Peter Leuprecht, former Dean of the McGill University Faculty of Law
McGill University Faculty of Law
The Faculty of Law is a constituent faculty of McGill University, in Montreal, Quebec. Its graduates obtain both a Bachelor of Laws and Bachelor of Civil Law , concurrently, in three to four years, allowing them to practice in both the Canadian, U.S...
and one of the signatories of the Le Devoir piece, said that “It is not good that there are all kinds of suspicions circulating. It is not good for the university or the public at large.”
Documentary
Cornett and his dismissal are the subject of a 2009 NFB documentary Professor Norman Cornett: "Since when do we divorce the right answer from an honest answer? written and directed by Alanis ObomsawinAlanis Obomsawin
Alanis Obomsawin, OC is a Canadian filmmaker of Abenaki descent. Born in New Hampshire, and raised primarily in Quebec, she has produced and directed many National Film Board of Canada documentaries on First Nations culture and history...
, which had its world premiere at the Hot Docs
Hot Docs
Hot Docs Canadian International Documentary Festival is North America's largest documentary film festival, conference, and market, held annually in Toronto, Ontario, Canada...
film festival.