Mount Royal University ordered to give advance notice of anti-abortion protests

Mount Royal University has been ordered to provide advance notice of anti-abortion protests on campus after an arbitrator found the university failed to adequately protect a female employee during previous demonstrations.

In a written decision, arbitrator James Casey ruled that MRU had not provided a safe workplace for the employee, who had repeatedly raised concerns about graphic images displayed during the protests.

Casey ordered the university to immediately introduce measures aimed at protecting the complainant and other faculty members from future demonstrations.

Under the ruling, MRU must provide at least three hours’ advance notice of the date, time and location of any future anti-abortion protests on campus. The university must also restrict where demonstrators can gather within the school.

The complainant herself must receive even more specific notification. Casey directed MRU to provide her with at least two and a half hours’ notice through email, a phone call and a text message.

The measures are intended to give employees adequate time to prepare for demonstrations and help reduce the impact of potentially disturbing material displayed by protesters.

The ruling follows concerns raised by the employee about the university’s handling of previous pro-life demonstrations and the workplace environment created by the protests.