Alberta justice minister fires human rights chief
Posted Sep 15, 2022 1:30 pm.
Last Updated Sep 15, 2022 6:03 pm.
Justice Minister Tyler Shandro has rescinded the appointment of Colin May as the chief of the Alberta Human Rights Commission Thursday evening.
This comes after he refused to quit despite direction from Shandro to do so in a controversy surrounding alleged Islamophobic comments.
News of the development is listed in the Orders in Council for the day, where cabinet decisions are posted.
May hired lawyer Kathryn Marshall, who tweeted out that May has retained her services and will not be resigning.
I have been retained to represent Mr. May. He will not be resigning.
We will be issuing a public statement soon. https://t.co/UNqHtZTCwI
— Kathryn Marshall (@Lawsome_) September 15, 2022
Shandro hired May through a cabinet order and has the power to fire him.
READ MORE: Chair of Alberta Human Rights Commission asked to resign by justice minister, Muslim leaders
Earlier this week, Shandro publicly urged May to quit after several Muslim groups called for May to be fired for not following through on a promise to meet with them.
May had said in July he would meet with the groups after they expressed concern about what they call Islamophobic comments he made in a book review 13 years ago.
The groups say May never met with them.
May says he does not hold such anti-Islamic views, and the editors of the book review say the essay makes it clear the offending comments were the views of the book author and not May.
