Peter MacKinnon: Don’t denigrate academics for telling the truth about DEI

Advertisement 1 This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. Breadcrumb Trail Links HomeNP Comment Peter MacKinnon: Don't denigrate academics for telling the truth about DEI Researchers aren't 'racist' for reaching conclusions you don't like Author of the article: By Peter MacKinnon Published Sep 21, 2026 Last updated 11 minutes ago 1 minute read Join the conversation University of Michigan students walk on the UM campus next to signage displaying the University's "Core Values" on April 3, 2025 in Ann Arbor, Michigan. PHOTO BY BILL PUGLIANO/GETTY IMAGES Article content Alex Usher is an experienced observer of post-secondary education in Canada and so his letter to the Macdonald-Laurier Institute on its recent study of diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) hires attracts our attention. In that letter, Usher denounces the research and conclusions of three researchers on the subject: they are, he says, driven by “gutter social science” and called their work “a drive-by smear” that some would call “clearly racist and sexist.” Article content Article content Usher takes issue with the researchers’ comparisons of the research productivity of different groups of scholars favoured by DEI, and of those that are not favoured at all. From this study, readers might conclude that Usher’s attack is not well founded. One of the authors wrote a full rebuttal. Article content RECOMMENDED VIDEOS Article content Channel Israel Columnist Jesse Kline keeps you up to date with what’s happening in Israel and the effects of antisemitism on life here in Canada. Friday mornings. Sign Up By signing up you consent to receive the above newsletter from Postmedia Network Inc. Interested in more newsletters? Browse here. Article content DEI leads to discrimination against individuals in favour of increasing participation from identities (race, colour, gender, etc.) that are said to be equity-deserving. In Canada, this discrimination is pervasive and long-standing, and contrary to Section 15(1) of the Charter, though ostensibly saved by the wide scope of affirmative action permitted by Section 15(2). Article content It is not surprising that the impact of DEI on academia is now under review. That is what the MLI researchers did, and readers are free to take issue with their methodology and conclusions. They are not free, however, to denigrate the authors and the organization for which they worked. Article content Usher’s attack illustrates the…