Pridgen v University of Calgary information

Pridgen v University of Calgary was freedom of speech case which took place in Alberta, Canada, in 2010. The case deals with two university students, Keith and Steven Pridgen, who were found guilty and punished by the University of Calgary in 2008, on grounds of "non-academic misconduct".

The University of Calgary defines "non-academic misconduct" as:

(a) conduct which causes injury to a person and/or damage to University property and/or the property of any member of the University community;

(b) unauthorized removal and/or unauthorized possession of University property;

(c) conduct which seriously disrupts the lawful educational and related activities of other students and/or University staff.^[1]

The Court of the Queen's Bench of Alberta found the University of Calgary to be wrong in prosecuting ten students, including the Pridgen brothers, in regards to comments made about a professor on Facebook. The key ruling in this case was that the universities are not exempt from, and that these students were in fact protected under, section 2(b) of the Charter of Rights and Freedoms. This case is notable as it highlights the jurisdiction of the Charter in terms of both new media technologies and university institutions in Canada.