Canada’s top court has dismissed the latest attempt by polarizing psychologist Jordan Peterson to challenge an order to undergo social media training or potentially lose his licence to practise.
In 2022, the governing body of Ontario’s psychologists ordered Peterson — who has gained international fame over his views on women, masculinity and gender identity — to undergo a media training program, saying some of his social media posts may be “degrading,” raise questions about his abilities as a psychologist and risk bringing disrepute to the profession.
Peterson, who has been a registered member of the College of Psychologists of Ontario since 1999 but stopped seeing patients in 2017, said his statements were not made in his capacity as a clinical psychologist.
In one of the social media posts in question, Peterson refers to a then-city councillor who uses they/them pronouns as an “appalling self righteous moralizing thing.”
The college’s complaints committee noted that during an appearance on The Joe Rogan Experience podcast, Peterson identified himself as a clinical psychologist before demeaning a former client.
Last summer, an Ontario court ruled against Peterson and upheld the regulatory body’s order to undergo training on professionalism in public statements. That decision was affirmed by a panel of three judges with the Ontario Court of Appeal earlier this year.
As usual, the Supreme Court of Canada did not explain why it won’t hear Peterson’s case. It was dismissed with costs.
Peterson’s lawyer, Howard Levitt, said his client is weighing his options.
“He will obviously have to consider his next move and whether he will agree to this re-education in social media, an area in which he is far more adept than any potential educators,” Levitt said in an email.
Case raised freedom of expression issues
The years-long case has raised broader issues about freedom of expression and whether the college is overstepping its authority by penalizing the controversial psychologist for his opinions.
The Canadian Civil Liberties Association (CCLA) intervened at the Ontario court level, saying that while it doesn’t endorse Peterson’s views, it feels that professional regulatory bodies shouldn’t be policing speech that is not directly connected to professional practice.
Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre has posted in support of Peterson, who rose to prominence through controversial YouTube videos critiquing liberal culture and self-help books.
“Another outrageous attack on free speech as regulators try to force Peterson into a re-education program for expressing the politically incorrect views,” he posted on social media earlier this year.