Controversial author and public figure Jordan Peterson He was told to undergo a mandatory “training program” before College of Psychologists of Ontario (CPO) because of the public statements he made.
However, Peterson said all of the complaints in question are political and have nothing to do with his past or current clients as a psychiatrist.
“I will take a course like this, with reports documenting my ‘progress’, or I will face personal court and suspension of my right to work as a licensed clinical psychologist,” Peterson wrote on Twitter.
Peterson, who has constantly made headlines for controversial views and is celebrated by the right wing, said he would not comply.
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Peterson first attracted controversy for refusing to use gender-neutral pronouns while teaching at the University of Toronto. He has gone on to international fame with his lectures and bestselling books.
The CPO is the governing body for psychologists in Ontario, with a mandate to “protect the public interest by monitoring and regulating the practice of psychology,” according to its website.
“About 12 people around the world have filed complaints about my public statements on Twitter and (Joe) Rogan over four years (amongst my 15 million followers on social media) alleging that I have ‘hurt’ people (not them) with my views,” Peterson said. .
He said the city’s chief of police could have viewed the complaints as disturbing, but decided to pursue them.
“I have been accused of harming people, even though none of the complainants involved in the present lawsuit were my clients, past or present, or were even acquainted with any of my clients,” he said.
Peterson said that many of those who filed complaints claimed to be his clients, though that was not true.
Among the concerns, Peterson claims, is that Peterson has expressed support for Conservative federal leader Pierre Poiliver and criticism of Prime Minister Justin Trudeau. It’s not clear exactly what comments the CPO is concerned about — the organization did not say in a statement to Global News, citing confidentiality regulations.
Peterson said he intends to go public with the allegations when possible while following legal and ethical restrictions.
in a Column written by Peterson In National Post Wednesday, Peterson added that he is being accused of being “sexist, transphobic, incapable of achieving body positivity with regard to morbid obesity, and unforgivable to all, of climate change denial.”
“Each of these accusations (and now accepted evidence of my professional misconduct) is independent of my clinical practice — which, by the way, has been on hold since 2017, when my increasing fame or notoriety made continuing to work as a private therapist practically and morally impossible,” Peterson wrote.
the National Post reportedHowever, in 2018 Peterson approved a plan to improve his clinical practice. There were few details about what constituted professional misconduct in that case, the paper said, but the complaint related to the way he communicated with patients, the quality of his service, and the psychiatrist/patient limits.
According to a document Peterson posted on Twitter Wednesday morning from the Central Procurement Office, its complaints committee said in a report that it was concerned that he “lacks professionalism in public statements made on social media and during his January 25, 2022 podcast appearance.” .
In contrast, the purchasing official said that Peterson should undergo a training program at his expense to “review, reflect on, and improve his professionalism in public statements.”
The document says that if he did not undergo the program and the trainer did not file a report indicating that the concerns had been “appropriately addressed in the public interest,” it could constitute professional misconduct and result in an investigation.
Peterson said the situation highlights broader concerns in Canadian society, where “professionals are afraid to tell the truth.”
In its statement to Global News, the CPO said, “The College is not authorized to discuss this matter pursuant to the confidentiality provisions of Section 36 of the Ontario Regulated Health Professions Act, 1991.”
CPO submitted Link to publicly available information regarding Peterson.
Under the “Other Discipline and Actions” tab of his profile, you confirm that Peterson is required to participate in a “specific correctional or continuing education program” in connection with his “professionalism” in public statements.
It also says that Peterson has filed a Notice of Application for Judicial Review with the Ontario District Court. Peterson said he faces a constitutional challenge.
In a follow-up email, Global News asked the college about its standards of conduct for authorized personnel regarding their general conduct not directly related to their practices, but received no response.
A CPO’s professional standards regarding public statements refer largely to advertising of services, although there is a section regarding providing “information, advice, or comment to the public via any means.”
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The CPO standards state that members must ensure, among other things, that “the data is accurate and supportable based on current professional literature or research” and that “the data conforms to professional standards, policies, and ethics currently approved by the College.”
It is not clear what professional standards may be of concern to the college regarding the matter with Peterson.
Peterson’s Twitter posts regarding the CPO have garnered a lot of attention, including from Elon Musk.
Musk apparently encouraged Peterson to livestream any potential disciplinary hearing.
“I will make sure that the disciplinary hearing, should it take place, is made available on my YouTube channel,” Peterson said in response.
And Twitter spaces, which I don’t know how to use yet.
With files from Andrew Russell
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