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Prior days' news: By date | Search This week's print issue Back issues: By date | Search March 26, 2008Canadian University Treated Professor Unfairly, Review Team FindsAn external review says a medical professor at Memorial University of Newfoundland was subjected to years of harassment and bullying. According to a report released today, the review committee concluded that Cathy Popadiuk, a gynecological oncologist, “experienced a pattern of harassment that extended over a period of years.” The report says that Dr. Popadiuk “was placed in an intimidating, hostile environment, has been discouraged by her superiors in carrying out acceptable treatment options she deemed best for her patients,” and “has had her clinical work assessed in a manner that denied her natural justice.” Her case was taken up by the Canadian Association of University Teachers, which commissioned the independent review. That investigation was carried out by Albert Katz, a professor and chair of the department of psychology at the University of Western Ontario; Lori J. West, a professor of pediatrics, surgery and immunology at the University of Alberta; and Philippe DeWals, director of the department of social and preventative medicine at the University of Laval. The reviewers noted that Dr. Popadiuk’s experience apparently was not unique, other members of the medical faculty at Newfoundland had also provided evidence of being treated without respect. Dr. Popadiuk complained five years ago that her reputation was unfairly damaged after a visiting colleague told her superiors that her research was poor and her treatment of patients was inappropriate. The report says the dispute began over a different approach to cancer treatment. Dr. Popadiuk preferred to use chemotherapy before surgery, but her colleagues, according to the report, did not consider that to be “the preferred mode of treatment.” She was removed as associate dean of students and her office was relocated away from the clinic where she saw patients. An internal review at Memorial University has determined that her work is sound, according to a report by CBC News. The external reviewers suggest both Memorial University and the Eastern Health authority apologize to Dr. Popadiuk. The recommendations also include setting up a dispute resolution process and develop a harassment policy. —Karen Birchard Posted on Wednesday March 26, 2008 | Permalink |Comments
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Hmm. Doubtless the names of the guilty have been omitted so that, having recognized the error of their ways, they can go forth and sin no more. Right.
— Dan Kirklin Mar 26, 03:35 PM #
The guilty should have had their names made public so that others who work with them in the future will know what kind of people they are. Plus they should have been forced to make a public apology and pay compensation to their victim.
— NYMOM Mar 26, 03:48 PM #
Coincidentally The New York Times just ran an article and blog about workplace bullying, and academia was mentioned quite often in the response comments, I noticed. The particular feature of academic bullying is that often the bullied person doesn’t even have the option of quitting or finding another position, especially if tenured and in mid-career. Thus the harassment can go on for years, as the above example sadly indicates.
— Kiyoshi Tamagawa Mar 26, 04:01 PM #
Just a thought, but was the Memorial administration part of the review, or were all three reviewers appointed by the Union? Has a CAUT review ever found for an administration? What is “independent” about a process wholly run by the Union?
— Curious Mar 26, 04:15 PM #
A correction – it is not University of Laval (which indicates Laval is the name of the city/province in which the university is located) but rather Laval University in English. The official name (in French) of the institution is Universite Laval. There is a Montreal suburb called Laval, which is not where the university is located. It is in the provincial capital – Quebec City.
— DJP Mar 26, 07:38 PM #
Yet another vulgar example of institutional weasels protecting the victimizers, while begrudginly (if ever) taking responsibility for the anguish, pain, despair or irreparable damage to the victim. Just shameful and oh sooooooooooo typical…Seen it before and will again no doubt.
Painfully, this story reminded me of a similar incident in my own professional journey, when I had the gross misfortune of coming under the supervision of an emotinally imbalanced associate dean who stopped at nothing to harrass, insult and belittle me whenever possible (even in e-mails). When she decided that she would not renew my contract (no reason given), I went to HR, AA, the Ombudsman and even the Chancellor, all of whom raised an eyebrow at my tale of woe. I was given a charity appointment for a year, during which I applied for numerous positions on campus, but by then I was damaged goods, despite a 25 year student affairs career in Big 10, Ivy League and European schools.
Eventually this psychotic witch destroyed too many careers to cover up any longer and was whisked away to a “no-damage-possible” administrative do-nothing position in the attic of the central admiinistration building, where she can be found howling at the moon most days during noon hour everyday. She was never terminated because she had eaked out a permanent appointment from her quivering and limp college dean before HE retired.
Today, she earns a 6-figure salary to do nothing other than hide in the shadows. And all at taxpayers expense.
My career went into the toilet, I lost my home, went into astronomical debt and had to re-invent myself all over again by taking appointments that were not in the professional trajectory I had I had achieved up to that point.
I eventually returned to the city where this all occurred, with an international reputation in student affairs and a consultancy repertoire that shames the “inclusive” clowns that still inhabit that campus. And it is true what they say about the best revenge being even BIGGER success.
I occasionally cross paths with some of the institutional cowards that turned their back on me when I needed them most. And without exception they shrink into their dirty little crevices for fear that I will confront them in public. They don’t deserve any punishment I could come up with. I know that THEY know that their pathetic little existences are interminable punishments in and of themselves.
Cheers to Dr. Cathy. May she go on to even greater glory. She has certainly earned it and may she never refrain from telling her story so that others who suffer in silence can know that the opinions and judgements of fools aren’ t worth the 100% recycled paper they’re written on.
— g Mar 26, 09:51 PM #
This story has only reinforced my conviction that what academia needs is a forum to reveal the names of the weasels involved in situations like this.
The ONLY way to stop this abuse is to have a registry like that for sex offenders.
In my case, the person responsible for the outright retaliation I experienced (I complained about harassment, became disabled, and was let go three weeks before Christmas!) is now president of a college in Florida. Must be nice to be a Dean, discriminate (and misuse funds) and wind up a president of a community college while I, the victim, am now on SSDI.
You know all the Lberal BS about diversity and brotherhood and blah blah blah? It’s just that. BS.
— Muap Conners Mar 27, 08:27 AM #
CAUT is very selective… They defend special kind of people only.
This is what they say about who must be defended: “White women who are disadvantaged as White women with respect to White men, but advantaged as White women with respect to Black, Aboriginal, Asian and other racial minority men and women” and “gay, lesbian, bisexual or transgendered”.
— Michael Pyshnov Mar 27, 11:02 AM #
These very ugly issues are not isolated to academia but extend far beyond and in the vast majority of cases result in silent suffering. The first thing that comes to mind is the quote: Power tends to corrupt, and absolute power corrupts absolutely.
— Sandi Mar 29, 09:10 AM #