A university in Mexico has initiated proceedings against a recent psychology graduate after a group of professors expressed concerns over his graduation speech defending the family and the sanctity of life, which might cost him his license to practice.
The Autonomous University of Baja California received complaints against the student, Christian Cortez Pérez, and has started formal proceedings to ban him from practicing psychology, human rights group ADF International said Friday.
As the top of his class at the university’s School of Medicine and Psychology, Pérez earned the right to deliver the commencement address at his graduation ceremony on June 27 where he voiced his deeply held moral convictions regarding the state of the world today, and the importance of the family and the sanctity of life among other issues.
Some students and faculty protested vocally and walked out, but he continued and delivered his graduation address in full.
The professors then issued a “manifesto,” calling his address “hate speech.” They demanded that his academic degree and professional license be withheld, his merit award withdrawn and psychology associations across Mexico be alerted regarding his actions.
“I exercised my fundamental right to free speech to address my classmates about what I believe are the most pressing issues of our time,” Pérez was quoted as saying in response to the university’s action. “Now, I stand to lose my entire professional career because I expressed views with which some students and faculty disagree.”
In response to the proceedings against him, Pérez has submitted a counterclaim to protect his rightful interests, said ADF International, which is supporting him, adding that a judgment from the university is expected later this month.
In his commencement speech, Pérez said, “Today we are deep into a real anthropological struggle to redefine the human being, the human person, man, through the implementation of ideologies and fashions of thought that always end up undermining dignity and freedom.”
Kristina Hjelkrem, ADF International’s legal counsel for Latin America, said Pérez “faces irreparable reputational damage and a ban on his professional practice, threatening all that he has worked for in his career” just because he exercised his basic human rights and expressed views shared by many.
“If the campaign to punish Christian is successful, it shows that anyone who dares to speak in public in Mexico is in danger,” Hjelkrem added. “This is a clear violation of international human rights law, reminiscent of dictatorships, not democracies.”
Pérez said he is “committed to obtaining justice not just for myself, but for all Mexicans interested in preserving the right to freely express themselves.”
ADF International commented that students and professors all over the world are being subjected to “censorship campaigns, often accompanied by legal proceedings, which threaten severe harm to both their reputations and careers.”
The above comes from a Sept. 10 story in the Christian Post.
As Pope Francis reminds us, stop ideological imperialism.
Some nations and cultures prefer that men not be in their girls’ and womens’ restrooms and locker rooms.
God bless Christian Prez and give him the strength to endure.
May God bless this outstanding and brave university graduate! Maybe he could come to the U.S. to work. Is he Catholic? Maybe he could work for the Church! There is an outstanding school, Divive Mercy University, in Sterling, Virginia, that is reputed to be the only Catholic university, that offers clinical psychology programs that fully integrate the Catholic Faith with psycholigy. Maybe Christian Perez could work in teaching and counseling in a place like that.
I was sickened, reading that the Franciscan Sisters of Perpetual Adoration, at Viterbo University– the only Catholic college in the Diocese of La Crosse, Wisconsin — decided to curtail the activities of the student Pro Life Club– and start a big Pro Choice Club! Wonder what La Crosse Bishop William Callahan thinks of that? He is Fr. Altman’s bishop. Would be great, if Bp. Callahan would shut down the nuns’ Masses, refuse them Communion– and strip the name of “Catholic” from the school. Those bad nuns ought to be thrown out of their religious order– and kicked out of the Catholic Church.
Not sure about Mexico– but it should be strictly illegal for any university to operate this way. All students should have the right to exercise their freedom of speech, and offer their own ideas, when participating in classroom discussions, or giving public speeches, at a university. You may find a few points in any classroom discussion, or in any public speech, that you disagree with– but it shouldn’t matter to you. Just ignore it, so what? And if you can’t maturely discuss any subject– forget it.
My comnent of Sept. 15 at 4:16am, was edited. At the end, I said that the university should be shut down, if they could not maturely have classroom discussions, debates and speeches, with students and faculty freely contributing their views and ideas. His graduation speech was outstanding, and very inspiring.