Posted on 08/18/2025 11:13:25 AM PDT by jerod
Environmental psychologist Robert Gifford claims firing an overreaction to 'a clear mistake'
The University of Victoria (UVic) has fired one of its longest-serving professors after complaints he sexually harassed two women — including a graduate student.
In his 45 years at UVic, Robert Gifford pioneered the burgeoning field of environmental psychology — drawing students from around the world to study topics like climate change anxiety and the interplay between human beings and their surroundings.
But according to a pair of recent Labour Relations Board (LRB) decisions, the 78-year-old was fired last summer after an investigation found "repeated harm to junior scholars" and a "lack of accountability and understanding of [his] obligations as a senior scholar."
The LRB documents detail a probe into "concerning behaviours," citing an email Gifford sent a woman he first met when she was a "visiting student" — suggesting they share a hotel room while co-presenting a paper at a conference in 2018.
"This arrangement might require a bit of care in terms of other people who we know at the congress, but that can be managed," Gifford wrote.
"And, of course, everything beyond the mere sharing of the room is to be decided on a completely mutual basis, at the time. How does that sound?"
In response, the woman — known as AB — told Gifford she wanted to remain "strictly professional."...
(Excerpt) Read more at cbc.ca ...
The allegation against this 78 year old was in 2018 — 7 years ago — when he was 71. Let that sink in.
“Another Bleeding Liberal caught with his d*ck in his hands... LOL”
His d*ck in his hand. :)
Its Canada...
He made a pass at two women — one of which was a graduate student (which means he’s an idiot) — got shot down in flames and then....
NOTHING
No retaliation, no stalking or other overtly creepy crap alleged and he gets fired. For making two harmless passes.
what was he thinking??! just yuck.
He’s still got it.
He should have been fired for taking tuition money for a useless class.
This is a sad, anticlimatic ending to his 45 years of teaching, but the professor showed very poor judgement at least twice: A. Suggesting that he and a junior female student share a room together.
B. Telling another student to her face ‘I’m attracted to you’.
What else were these two young women supposed to think, except that he was ‘On The Make’?
He left himself wide open for accusations, regardless of motivation and context.
How many times did he think he could step on that Third Rail
in the War on the Patriarchy?
Hopefully, he will get his pension anyway.
Maybe these are pick up lines that have served him well in the past.
Maybe he was using both hands.
I'd guess that maybe half of the male professors (who aren't gay) become professors to sleep with their female students. Preach liberal PC BS while they're trying to get in their students' pants.
WTH is “environmental psychology”?
“Environmental psychologist” Milked a worthless degree and defrauded the taxpayers.
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