Penguin Random House Canada staff reportedly cry after news of Jordan Peterson book
Jordan Peterson #JordanPeterson
Employees at Penguin Random House Canada were reportedly besieged by their emotions after finding out the company will publish Dr. Jordan Peterson’s book Beyond Order: 12 More Rules for Life in March 2021.
Peterson’s book, which follows up where his bestseller 12 Rules for Life: An Antidote to Chaos left off, caused consternation at the publisher, with several employees becoming emotionally overwhelmed at the prospect of the company releasing it, according to four staff members.
“Several employees cried at the meeting discussing how Peterson’s views have negatively impacted their lives,” VICE’s Manisha Krishnan, who first reported the story, tweeted on Tuesday. “One told me: ‘He is an icon of hate speech and transphobia and the fact that he’s an icon of white supremacy… I’m not proud to work for a company that publishes him.'”
The employees gathered for what was described as an “emotional town hall” on Monday, during which staff members were allegedly “crying in the meeting about how Jordan Peterson has affected their lives.”
Peterson is a University of Toronto professor who rose to international prominence as a vocal critic of the Canadian government’s Bill C-16, which sought to establish “gender identity or expression” as a prohibited ground of discrimination under the Canadian Human Rights Act. Peterson objected on the grounds that the law could force him to address a transgender student by his or her preferred pronoun or else be faced with prosecution under human rights laws.
The bill passed and became law in 2017.
Penguin Random House Canada said it was open to hearing the opinions of its staff but did not commit to scrapping the publication.
“We announced yesterday that we will publish Jordan Peterson’s new book Beyond Order this coming March,” the statement read. “Immediately following the announcement, we held a forum and provided a space for our employees to express their views and offer feedback. Our employees have started an anonymous feedback channel, which we fully support. We are open to hearing our employees’ feedback and answering all of their questions. We remain committed to publishing a range of voices and viewpoints.”
Peterson’s book will be published by Portfolio in the United States and Portfolio Press in the United Kingdom, both subsidiaries of the Penguin Random House company.
Tags: News, Jordan Peterson, Canada, Books
Original Author: Spencer Neale
Original Location: Penguin Random House Canada staff reportedly cry after news of Jordan Peterson book